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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30080787">I just haven't met you yet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nina_balerinna/pseuds/nina_balerinna'>nina_balerinna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, english is not my first language</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:08:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30080787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nina_balerinna/pseuds/nina_balerinna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara's life was finally on track. She had a great job, a new apartment and she was even having luck in love again. But it all changed when she saw the second pink line. <br/>OR<br/>Aang and Katara's lives turn upside down when they find out she is pregnant.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Congrats, Mama</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi!<br/>This is my first fanfiction ever, and I'm very excited to share it. If you have any comments, suggestions, or writing tips, please feel free to share them. I would really appreciate it! <br/>I hope you enjoy :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>February 6th, Middle Ring, Ba Sing Se</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara had never felt more anxious her entire life. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not during any of her exam weeks before. Not during any school or college presentation. Not even in her hospital internship, when she helped perform her first surgery ever. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> could ever be compared to the maddening waiting of the damn pregnancy test.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It's not like she had anything to worry about. She was always careful and safe. The test was just a confirmation. Just to be sure. It was going to be negative, of course. But that didn't keep her from being nervous.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her sister-in-law Suki and best friend Toph sat beside her, all staring at the test at the table, concerned. They sat in a circle in the living room, silently. Katara looked away from the plastic thing as if it would simply disappear if she wasn't looking. She tried to focus on the sound of her neighbors upstairs or the cars on the street to keep herself from going crazy, but it didn't work. She shoved the timer out of Suki's hand, clutching it so hard her knuckles turned white. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Just three minutes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Katara thought. She was just three fucking minutes away from possible life-changing news. And yet, it felt like forever. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes followed the countdown, and her mind began to wonder. She didn't want her life to change at all. Everything was going perfectly. She had just gotten a new renowned job as a doctor, and she was doing well at it. She had finally moved out of the apartment she shared with Suki and Sokka, which was particularly great. Her new apartment was just a block away, so they wouldn't miss each other, but also have their personal space. Her new salary was very good, and she was having spare money. Her life was going so well that she was even having luck in love again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She checked the timer again. Two minutes. Katara's heart started beating faster and she squeezed Toph's hand a little bit too hard.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ouch!" She yelped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara muttered an apology, almost inaudibly, and let go of her friend's hand and the timer, realizing how ridiculous that situation was. She had no reason to be that nervous; She didn't even know the result yet. Though, of course, she wasn't pregnant. She had just thrown up a couple of times that week, but that didn't mean she was necessarily pregnant. It was probably just a bug. Food poisoning, perhaps. Katara had had lunch in a very suspect food truck on Wednesday, so, yeah, it was definitely food poisoning. Also, she was on the pill. She knew from her own job experience that it was an effective contraceptive method.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No reason to worry, right?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suki checked the timer this time, with a tense look on her face. "Sixty seconds".</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara was back in her panic mode. Her mind was a hurricane and her heart started racing. She clutched onto Toph's hand again, but this time, the friend didn't even complain, and she squeezed her hand in return. She said a quiet prayer in hopes of calming herself, but it didn't work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Thirty seconds"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She whimpered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, fuck, fuck...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Five, four, three, two, one." Suki finished the countdown, but no one moved for a moment. Toph elbowed Katara, encouraging her to go on, so Katara reached for the test, but decided against it, and threw it to Suki. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No. I can't look. You tell me" She melted into the couch, trying to fuse herself with the pillows.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ew! Your pee is in this thing." Suki cringed, but then recomposed herself, and checked the result. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped. She gave an anxious look at the girls and slowly nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Spirits.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, Katara felt like the floor was caving in. She stared blankly at Suki's face. She heard her heartbeat in her ears and felt her breathing stop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So, what is the result?" Toph asked. She hadn't gotten the memo from Suki's stare.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Positive" Suki answered in a low voice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara didn't believe it. She took the test from Suki's hand and looked at it too. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you sure that the second line means positive?" She screamed, searching for the manual of the test, that confirmed it. "Oh, shit." Her breaths became more and more uneven. She refused to believe it. "I don't buy it! There is no way I'm pregnant."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, the test is positive." Toph made a point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, hell no. This is a mistake. T- These tests fail all the time." She shrugged. "Did you know there is a high risk of false-negative results? I've seen many pregnant patients come into the hospital without knowing they were pregnant because they took one of those cheap, unreliable drug store tests." Her words came out in such a rush that it was even hard to understand her. Her stomach turned upside down and she felt nauseous.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"But this isn't a false-negative. It's a positive. False positives are rare, right?" Suki argued. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Than- Than this is one of the rare occasions. There's something wrong with the test. I - I can't be pregnant." Katara sat on the couch, squished in between the girls. They tried to comfort her with a hug. Suki started brushing her hair to calm her down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Look, Toph can go to the drug store very quickly and buy as many pregnancy tests as you want. Then, you can take a blood test to know for sure. Is that okay?" Her voice was calm and soothing, and Katara felt her breathing slow down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay." She whispered, still very tense, trembling a bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toph squeezed her hand before she stood up, and she went through her wallet. "How many tests do I buy?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Five or six. Just to be sure." Suki answered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toph nodded, then made her way out. "Be right back."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara looked at the window outside. It was such a beautiful day outside. The birds were chipping, flying through the clouds in peaceful bliss. She heard the sounds of the cars on the streets. The sunset sky was particularly gorgeous that afternoon, painted in a colorful pink and orange tone. She found it ironic how perfect of a day it was. Her life was almost falling apart, about to change so drastically, but the sky was still there, big and majestic. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara stared at the view from up there. Living on the 6th floor of the building, she had a pretty nice view of the Middle Ring from up there. She watched the flow of the urban life, hoping it would take her mind off the damn test. The Middle Ring Hospital was visible from her window, a few blocks away. Her street was also full of shops and restaurants, and it was located very near a city park. She scanned her eyes through the establishments, and they landed on the Jasmine Dragon, a little tea shop, where she and Aang had planned on going that night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Aang. Oh, no.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was the man of her dreams. Aang was funny, polite, kind, cute, handsome, a gentleman. She could go on for hours about all the qualities he had. They had a date planned that day, but she had already canceled it in the morning because she was feeling very nauseous. Katara had been having the time of her life with him, and he had been the best boyfriend she's had in a very long time. Ever, maybe. But they had met only a month ago, and now... Well, she might be carrying his baby. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>'No, Katara,</span>
  </em>
  <span>' she thought to herself.</span>
  <em>
    <span> 'You are not pregnant. It's just a stomach bug. Everything is going to be fine. He doesn't even have to know about the pregnancy tests. It was a mistake, and you are not pregnant. Not right now.'</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sat down on the couch and curled up in Suki's lap as if she were a cat. Her vision was a little fuzzy, and it all felt like a very weird dream, like images passing through her mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a couple of minutes, Toph finally arrived.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The five new pregnancy tests were lying in the center table: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Positive, positive, positive, positive, and positive.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Congrats, mama!" Toph tried to lighten up the mood in the room, but Suki elbowed her. "Ouch."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara felt numb. In disbelief. It felt as if her brain was melting, and she couldn't process what those second red lines meant.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, there is still a chance I'm not pregnant. Maybe it's a problem in the whole line production of the tests. What if I call the company's office?" Suki let out a long sigh and squeezed Katara's shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Katara, let's face it: You are pregnant. There is only, like, one in a million chance that this could happen. One false-positive is rare, but six?" She argued, hoping to talk some sense into the girl.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"But still, guys: This is a mistake. I am on the pill. I take that pill every single day. There is just no fucking way..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe you missed it one day," Toph said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No. No way. I didn't miss it." She walked to the kitchen, where she kept her pack of pills and grabbed a notepad- She was about to do some math to prove her point. "Look, I just bought this package. It comes with exactly twenty-eight pills. I bought it on the 20th, so I already took eighteen and there have to be ten pills left, see?" She counted every single pill left "Nine, ten, elev- Oh, shit."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Eleven pills.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mind was in a hurry, trying to figure out when she had missed it, or the last time she had had sex. The image immediately came to her mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had known Aang for exactly two weeks when it happened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had first met at Toph's first birthday party, in a fancy dinner, that her parents had thrown her. Aang and Katara talked through the night, and conversation flowed so, so easily. He was so handsome, wearing a suit and trying to act formal. He had saved her from a boring conversation with some Earth Kingdom lord in the dinner, so she immediately fell for him. He was just such a gentleman, and so funny. She got lost in his eyes so easily... </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She learned he was a history teacher in a high school and that he was working towards a new job in a distinguished boarding school. He was also a very good volleyball player, and he had a dog called Appa, a rescued Old English Sheperd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After the party, they called and texted each other every day for those two weeks. He made her heart flutter, and he made her very happy. Ever since they met, Katara always had a grin on her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So, it was an understatement to say that Katara was excited about that night. They were all going to celebrate Toph's birthday again, for real this time. The Beifong stated that the fancy dinner didn't really count, because it was too boring. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Again, they danced and talked all night. Katara watched him in awe, amazed by how incredible he was. On this occasion, he wasn't dressed fancy. His short black hair was kind of messy, but she loved it like that. He wore a white t-shirt that fit him nicely, making his muscles stand out, and his aviator jacket had a nice smell. His smile, which hypnotized Katara the most, was just so beautiful- and kissable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mind was a bit fuzzy from there because they had been drinking in the nightclub. She recalls walking down the streets of Ba Sing Se with him during the AM, joking and sightseeing; Being cold, and using his jacket to keep her warm; Having a proper dinner in a 24 Hour Gas Station. But mostly, she remembers what happened after he took her home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had insisted he slept in because it was already too late for him to go back home alone- which was just an excuse. After all, they had just walked the whole city in the middle of the night. And, as they sat down on the couch, they kissed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was sweet and gentle at first. Aang's fingers caressed her cheeks and her arms hung onto his neck. Fireworks exploded on her insides. The lights were low in the living room, which smelled like cherry blossoms. Then, the kiss became ardent, passionate. He traveled his way to her neck, nipping at her most sensitive spots. Katara rushed into getting his shirt out, while they both stumbled on their way to the bedroom.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next thing she knows, they're waking up together on the next morning. She was still asleep when he first awoke, so he had kept playing with her hair, and planting little kisses on her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had to leave in a rush when he suddenly remembered he had a job interview- which, she found out later, was great. She made him some toast to eat in the way and tied his tie when he was on his way out. He kissed her goodbye and sprinted through the streets not to be late, which Katara found adorable. It had been such an amazing morning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>But she had to forget the pill, hadn't she?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara was taken out of her memories when she heard the doorbell ring. Suddenly, Toph had a smile on her face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Who is it, Toph?" Suki asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"The pizza guy. Alright, let's take a break from all the drama and babies and stuff. Who wants some pizza?" Toph walked excitedly to the cabinet to get some napkins. Suki sighed in disapproval and walked to the entrance, and Katara felt her stomach make a knot at the mention of the food. Then, she heard Suki exclaim from the front door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, shit!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara stumbled her way to the door to see what was going on. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Standing at the doorway was a beautiful, tall man, with jet black hair and a big smile on his face, which faded after hearing Suki's reaction. He held a package of soup in his hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Aang.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She felt her stomach growl in disapproval and rushed to the bathroom, leaving him there with a very startled look on his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Unwanted Guests</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang goes to Katara's to bring her some soup, but it doesn't go according to plan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>February 6th, Middle Ring, Ba Sing Se</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What could he say? Aang was hopelessly in love with Katara. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he had only known her for a month or so, but it was the truth. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had met her at Toph's fancy birthday dinner, that her parents had thrown her. She was so beautiful and so sweet, that he couldn't get her off his mind. They started texting each other almost every day for two weeks, until they met again, at Toph's </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>birthday party. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, it was the best night of his life, no doubt. They fit together so perfectly, and he had never felt that way before. It felt as if a string had bound them together, just like in the old tales Gyatso, his adoptive father, had told him. Aang thought about her all the time, and his friends were already tired of hearing about it. He made as many excuses as he could to meet her, anywhere he could. He craved for her presence every moment of the day, and when he was with her, he felt like he was invincible. They went to many dinners, lunches, and movies in the span of one month, just because he couldn't keep himself from being with her, and he hoped she felt that way too.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, she had agreed on dating more seriously just a couple of days before. She had even called him '</span>
  <em>
    <span>boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>' once.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could say it was love at first sight.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On that day, though, Aang got sad when she canceled the date they had on the Jasmine Dragon. He was even more upset that she was feeling sick, of course, and it was starting to get him worried, as she had told him about her indisposition since the beginning of the week.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But it was a Sunday afternoon and he had finished grading all the student's history papers, so he was starting to get bored. It wouldn't hurt to visit her, right? He could take her some herbal tea, or a soup, and it would help her get better faster, and keep her company, distracting her from the illness. He looked online for a soup place and found one just two blocks away from her apartment, so he grabbed his keys, and made his way to the subway station.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In about twenty minutes, he managed to pick up a soup to go and stood proudly by her doorstep. Strangely, however, when he rang the doorbell, Suki was the one who answered it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Shit!" She exclaimed, much to Aang's surprise. He had only hung out with Suki on two occasions- both of Toph's parties- and yes, he had been mostly focused on Katara then, but he hadn't taken Suki for someone to curse unless necessary. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A moment later, Katara showed up at the door and stared at him for a bit. Then, she ran into the hallway, making her way to the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Is it not the pizza guy, Suki?" He heard a familiar voice coming from the living room. Toph.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I-It's Aang. Aang's here." Suki answered as the Beifong walked up to them. They both stood there with concerned looks on their faces for a couple of seconds. Katara's sister-in-law peeked at the hallway, where the girl had run to, and asked, apprehensively, just before going after her. "Could you wait here for a moment, please?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> He was left alone with Toph by the door. She wore pajama pants and a t-shirt that said </span>
  <em>
    <span>'I rock'.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Aang had known Toph for a couple of years now: She was an old family friend of Zuko, his college roommate back in Caldera City, in the Fire Nation. When Zuko and Aang decided to move to Ba Sing Se after graduation, they all became very close, in a short time. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy crap, Twinkle toes. Great timing." Toph said, with an anxious look. He had never seen her act like that before.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Is Katara alright? Should I go check on h-" He was almost letting himself in but was stopped by the blind girl.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"NO!" She yelled, then coughed. "I mean... She's fine. Everything is fine. You don't have to do anything." She spoke in a very unclear tone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"But I want to help-" Toph interrupted him again, trying to change the subject. She reached for the package in Aang's hands.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Ooooh, what do you have there? Do I smell soup? Yummy, soup. I love soup." </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"The soup is for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Katara</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Toph." He protested, just to realize that the girl wasn't hearing him at all. She kept tapping her feet on the ground on a nervous tick. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, ok. So, tell me, how have you been? I haven't talked to you all week." She deflected him again, putting an arm in the door arch, now completely blocking his way in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear some commotion coming from the inside of the apartment, in Katara's voice, but he couldn't distinguish the words she was saying. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been worried because my girlfriend has been sick all week." He frowned, getting annoyed. "And you won't let me help her."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Suki's there. Chill out, man." She fidgeted with the soup package. They stayed silent for a moment, and he was thinking of ways to let himself in when he heard a weird groan coming from the bathroom in the hallway and got determined. He tried sneaking past her, only to be grabbed by the collar of his shirt. Toph had a frown on her face. "I'm blind, not an idiot, Aang." </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Why won't you let me in?" He demanded, wrenching himself to get rid of her grip. They started to cat-fight, just like a couple of children. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Because-" She was interrupted when Katara showed up behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At the sight of her, he could already tell she wasn't feeling very great. There were distinguished dark circles under her eyes, and he looked pale and weak, trembling her way to the door. Katara fidgeted with her nails. Why did she seem so nervous? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. I'll leave you guys to it." Toph concluded, making her way to the bedroom, where Suki probably was, and taking the soup with her. They stood there for a moment, trying to think of what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi." He started. "I'm sorry to drop in unannounced. I was worried when you canceled, so I brought you some soup." He gestured towards the hallway Toph walked through. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She took a long, shaky breath. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. U-um... Thanks. But I'm okay, really."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?" He came closer and took her hands in his, then put a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I can drive you to the hospital if you need. You don't seem so fine."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I'm sure." She answered, in a quiet voice. She wasn't really looking in his eyes and had her head down. After a long pause, she requested. "Hey, Sweetie, uh... can you go home? I need some time alone. Please."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Did she want him gone? Well, he understood that she needed space for whatever she was dealing with, but that didn't keep his heart from breaking a little. He knew that vomiting at the presence of their new-found boyfriend could be a little embarrassing, but he hated that she felt she had to hide anything from him. She was sick, and it was natural and happened sometimes, but he wanted her to know he was there for her.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh... Sure. Alright." He kissed her forehead before stepping back. "Call me if you need anything, then, okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." She bit her lip now. Before she closed the door, he could swear he saw her eyes start to water. He stared at the door near his face and let out a sad sigh.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>February 9th, Middle Ring, Ba Sing Se</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She didn't call him for </span>
  <em>
    <span>three </span>
  </em>
  <span>days.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara called Aang almost every day. If not a call, at least a text. His worries intensified, and he spent those three long days overthinking. He tried distracting himself by focusing on his work and his students at the Ba Sing Se High. He graded every single paper he had been procrastinating. He took Appa in extra long walks. He meditated. He finished an entire season of a reality show. He cleaned his entire apartment, which was something he hasn't done since... </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But Aang's mind kept replaying what had happened that Sunday. Katara was feeling terrible that day, and he was getting even more concerned with her as the days passed. She hadn't called. Was she even still alive? Or was she upset, or embarrassed? He thought about texting her an apology because he had really overstepped some boundaries. Showing up unannounced, when she had clearly stated that she was sick? What was he thinking?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had just started thinking about a good apology when he received a message from Katara herself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Katara: </b>
  <span>Hi. I need to talk to you. Can you meet me at the Jasmine Dragon in 20 minutes?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't know what to expect, so he expected the worst. Was she breaking up with him? Was she moving out of the country? Was she recently diagnosed with some incurable disease? Well, that would explain the sickness. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything is going to be fine, Katara is fine and she likes you. Relax.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, he took his coat and made his way to the Jasmine Dragon.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi! <br/>Thank you soooo much for reading! The comments, kudos, and hits made my week. It was the first time anyone read something I wrote, so I was really excited. :)<br/>This chapter was a little bit shorter than the previous one, so I'll be uploading the next one very soon. This one was a little bit harder to write, but I hope you have a good time reading it.<br/>If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. <br/>I hope you guys enjoyed it! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. As the world caves in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang meets Katara at the tea shop and receives some big news.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>February 9th, Middle Ring, Ba Sing Se.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he opened the door to the Jasmine Dragon, he saw the slow night flow of the customers, since the shop was closing in a few hours. He scanned his eyes through the establishment, remembering all the good times he had there with Zuko and Uncle Iroh. It was a familiar place, and he loved going there. The perfectly set tables and the lanterns that adorned the walls and ceiling made it quite a beautiful place. As he was looking around, he estranged the fact that Iroh wasn't behind the counter, but then remembered Tuesdays were his day off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the table, nearest to the window, sat a very gloomy Katara. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was in a much better shape than on the previous Saturday, but she still looked a little pale and shaky. She wore a white sweater, and her hair was up on a ponytail. Her mother's necklace adorned her neck, just like it always had. When she saw him, she smiled at him, but she still seemed tense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was she breaking up with him?</span>
  </em>
  <span>  Well, if she was sitting all serious in a public place, it was most likely a breakup. Aang started to think of all the possible mistakes he might have made. Was she upset because of his visit on Saturday? Or didn’t she like that he bought her flowers? Maybe he had been too clingy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shut up, Aang,</span>
  </em>
  <span> He thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing is going to happen</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He walked up to her and sat by the table, with a nervous smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi." She said in a low voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi. Are you feeling better?" Aang asked, and took her hand from the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, yes. A little." She stared at their hands, tangled together on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Look, I really wanted to apologize for the other day. I shouldn't have dropped by unannounced, even more so after you told me you weren't feeling well. Spirits, I-I'm so sorry, I overstepped and-" Aang looked at her, his stormy grey eyes full regret.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, no, no. Don't worry. I'm sorry I kicked you out too, but I was really not feeling well but... Well, you were just trying to help." Katara smiled at him and squeezed his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Still, I'm sorry." He felt relieved that she wasn’t upset. Maybe it wasn’t a breakup, right? He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them, and she blushed, grinning. "So... What was that you wanted to talk about?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, her expression changed. Katara pulled her hand back and looked down. He saw her shoulders tense even more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay... I-I need to tell you something." She had a much serious tone in her voice, and her lips were pressed in nervousness. She still couldn't look him straight in the eye. Sensing her uneasiness, he gave her a small smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Sweetie, you can tell me anything." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a long breath and closed her eyes for a second, and then proceeded to talk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh, I don't know how to say this... Um...Well, you know how we had sex after Toph's nightclub party, right?" He felt his blood rush through his cheeks and a small grin came on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How could I forget?" His comment made a slight smile appear on her face for a split second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And I told you I was on the pill."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah." He had a confused expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What was that supposed to be about?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-I missed it one day... So I got pregnant." She spluttered out the words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stared at her for a very long time, waiting for her to start laughing at his surprised face saying it was all a prank and he fell for it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wasn't April Fools still two months away? </span>
  </em>
  <span>But she didn't. Maybe he misheard it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-I'm sorry... What?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>pregnant</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes almost popped out of their orbits. It felt like his brain had stopped functioning, and her words were the only thing there, echoing in his mind. She pulled out a package from her purse, putting it in front of him, on the table. There were six pregnancy tests in a plastic bag, and they all had two lines, resulting in positive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't believe it either. That's why I took six of them. Plus a blood test." She also pulled a medical paper out of her bag, anxious about his reaction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"W-wait. You are pregnant?" He muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With my-my... baby?" It felt weird to say it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hands started to shake. Was that really happening? He looked at the people passing by the window, and through the tea shop, and he started feeling sick, his stomach rumbling. Aang stayed shocked, incredulous by the news. He heard Katara's voice say something, but he didn't actually hear it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... and I had just looked at the tests when you arrived, so I was a little off and..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He zoned out again. It felt like the walls of the Jasmine Dragon were shrinking, and that the world was collapsing. Aang was now feeling very dizzy, so he interrupted Katara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... I'm sorry. I-I need a moment. I've got to go to... the bathroom." He was able to say, before stumbling a bit to the back of the shop, where the restrooms were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed himself in there and took a couple of deep breaths, just like Gyatso had taught him when he was younger, but it wasn't working. Aang felt trapped and breathless in that place. He let his feet walk towards the Jasmine Dragon's backdoor, in the hopes of getting some fresh air. When he was outside, his legs got lives of their own. He didn't really know where he was going, but he was walking, and he was moving, and that helped him think quicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>? He was going to have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>? He was going to be a father? He grew concerned. Sometimes, he still </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt </span>
  </em>
  <span>like a child. How could he have one? He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>the child. Did he have the necessary skills to be a father? He had always been good with kids and he loved playing with them, but playing wasn't enough. Could he take care of a child? Could he protect them? It was a huge responsibility. Aang didn't know if he could take it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>During a few minutes, Aang jogged without destination through the streets of the Middle Ring. People stared at him, but he was too worked up to care. He took his phone out of his pocket and called the one person that could calm him down at that moment. He didn't even care about the time then. He knew it was late but he was desperate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hello? Aang? Are you alright? Did something happen?" His father's familiar voice echoed in his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gyatso, hey. I'm okay. Not okay-okay, but nothing dangerous or anything." He answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, but what is wrong? You seem distressed." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am. I am in great distress. I am freaking out right now." Aang's words were hard to understand. He had been walking so fast and for so long now that his legs were hurting, and he was gasping for air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aang, sit down and breathe for a moment, please." Gyatso's voice was soothing and calming. It reminded Aang of the times when he was a kid, back at the Southern Air Temple, and his father would hold him and tranquilized him after a nightmare. He sat on a bench he found on the street. "Alright, so tell me what's going on."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... You know Katara, right?" Aang started to tell him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The pretty water tribe girl you are head over heels for?" He could hear his mentor's grin from the other side of the line.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, her. Well, I might have gotten her accidentally pregnant." He said, glad to put all of this out of his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's big news. How are you feeling?" Gyatso responded, after a while.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How was he feeling? Well, he was freaking out. He felt unprepared and unconfident. Nervous wasn't enough to describe what he was feeling. His life was about to change forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Scared." He responded. "I mean, I've always wanted to have a family, but I would have never imagined it would be this way and this soon..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sometimes things happen without you expecting them, Aang," Gyatso said. The man's wise words always got through him. "But what if it was meant to be this way? The spirits sent you a blessing, son. Don't run away from it. And don't you worry, all will be fine. Get some rest and see how you feel about it tomorrow, alright?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah... I will." Aang could finally feel his head clear up a little. Well, at least the world stopped spinning around him. "Thanks, Gyatso. I needed that. I'll call you tomorrow. Bye."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang sat down again on the bench and pondered. His heart still raced from the run and his mind still wondered, but his father's words had worked. He felt lighter. Not much, but it was still something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could learn to be a father, right? He knew that, at least, he would still be a much better father than many men out there, like Ozai, for example. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he looked at his surroundings, Aang found out that he had walked a lot more than he expected, as he found himself sitting on a bench by a gas station, on the other side of the Middle Ring. He noticed there weren't many people on the street anymore, so he looked at the time on his phone: 9 PM. Already? He had arrived in the Jasmine Dragon an hour ago. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Time went by so fast.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had left </span>
  <em>
    <span>Katara </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the Jasmine Dragon for an </span>
  <em>
    <span>hour</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slapped his forehead, disappointed and angry at himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did he always have to run away when things got hard?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Aang stood up and started sprinting again through the streets of Ba Sing Se.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! <br/>I promised I would upload this chapter as soon as possible, so here it is! Chapters 2 and 3 were actually supposed to be just one, but I got too excited when writing that it ended up being too big, so I split it in two. <br/>I hope you guys are enjoying the fic! Feel free to give me any tips or suggestions in the comments ;)<br/>Thank you for reading &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Promises to Keep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang left Katara at the Jasmine Dragon. Now, he has to make up for his mistake.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>February 9th, Ba Sing Se, Middle Ring</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara’s heart was shattered to pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She waited and waited for him to come back, but the minutes became an hour, and she had already lost her hope. She sat alone at the shop, staring blankly at the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, miss. Are you going to order anything else? We are about to close up the shop.” A waitress showed up in her visual camp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue-eyed girl denied, shaking her head, and looked at the other woman’s name tag, which said ‘Jin’. She had an eager expression on her face, probably hoping to close the shop and go home soon. Katara looked at her watch, which read 9 PM. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I won’t order. But uh... do you know if there is anyone else still in the restrooms?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, no. You are the only one left here.” Jin answered, with an apologetic expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He wasn't coming back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… Sure. Thanks anyway.” She stood up, taking her purse and putting her coat to make her way out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chilly winds of the nights in Ba Sing Se felt like needles on her skin, but despite it all, she kept walking the short way back home. Tears started prickling at Katara’s eyes, and she wiped them out, only for more of them to keep coming. Her steps became more rushed, as she was eager not to break down in the middle of the street. She let her ponytail loose so that her hair would hide her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she got to her apartment, she jumped into the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away all of her problems.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had known that there was a huge chance that happened. After all, they had only been dating for one month, less so. She wouldn't be the first single mother to exist, but she hadn't thought Aang would just simply abandon her and their child. Apparently, he did. Katara hadn't taken him for someone to do that. She felt angry at herself for opening up to and trusting a man again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara had never had a lot of luck in love. Why did she think that it would be any different this time?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sitting in the bathtub, with the water now hot in her head, she thought about all of her previous relationships. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her very first boyfriend was a guy named Hahn, and they met in High School, back in the Southern Water Tribe. He was one of the popular kids in school, and all the girls there were obsessed with him. Somehow, Katara ended up dating him. Hahn was, in fact, very handsome, but he was a bit of a show-off, though she didn't mind it at the time. However, the more she got to know him, the creepier he got. He would be very possessive of her, wouldn't let her talk to other boys, and got super jealous over the most simple things. Hahn was super misogynistic too. The day Katara tried breaking up with him, he threw a tantrum and started screaming at her. Her brother, Sokka, punched him in the face for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, she had moved to Ba Sing Se for College, and she met Haru on campus. He was, actually, a very nice guy, a total opposite from Hahn. Their relationship was going great until she discovered he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend. Things ended up pretty friendly, but it still hurt a lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Around her last year in college, she also met Jet. He was, too, very handsome, and a bit of a bad boy. He drank, smoked, and had an aloof attitude, but above it all, he was charming. His eyes hypnotized Katara, and she was crazy about him. However, Jet was a cheater, and would always gaslight her into getting back together. One day, after he was arrested for shoplifting, Suki and Sokka taught some sense into her, and that made her realize that Jet was not a good guy for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then came </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aang</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He topped every single one of her ex-boyfriends in all aspects. He was sweet, funny, and polite. He had never run into trouble with the police, which was a charm, and was completely falling for her. Katara was in love with him too. She thought he was the one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tears were already drying, so she decided to step out of the shower. Katara picked comfy pajamas and a fuzzy blanket, and turned on the TV, on a random reality show. She sunk into her bed, feeling awful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she got that sad, Katara would usually have ice cream to side the breakdown. But her stomach was all weird because of all the morning sickness, and she thought it might not be a good idea to eat such a sugary thing when she was on the verge of throwing up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She considered calling one of her friends to keep some company. Katara thought about calling her brother, but then remembered he didn't know about her pregnancy yet and she wasn't feeling like explaining it. Also, Sokka had a bit of a protective big brother reputation, and she knew he would worry a lot. She thought of Toph, but she was also a friend of Aang's, and it would be a little awkward. Suki was probably the best option to keep her company. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara was about to send Suki a message when she heard the doorbell ring. Once, twice, three times. It was a desperate call. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood up and opened the door, only to find a breathless Aang standing there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was all sweaty and had a pretty stunned expression on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What...?" Katara was surprised.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Wait, hadn't he left forever?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm so, so very much sorry, Katara. Really. I-I shouldn't have left you there at the table... I'm such an idiot." He spluttered his words in a desperate flurry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a while to respond because she was trying very hard not to cry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Y-You're here?" She finally managed to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I'm here." He scratched the back of his neck, in nervousness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You didn't leave." Her voice came out in a whisper. There was no way she could hold her tears anymore. They were tears of relief. It had been just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>misunderstanding</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"D-did you think I left you?" At her words, Aang's expression turned in disbelief. "Katara, I-I would have never left you like that. I'm so sorry, I got overwhelmed and the next thing I know I'm running on the other side of town. I'm so, so sorry that I made you think that-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice ceased when she engulfed him in a tight hug. Katara sunk her face on his chest, holding him so tight he almost stopped breathing. Aang caressed her hair and kissed the crown of her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought I was alone at this." She said, her voice muffled by his sweater. "I was already freaking out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled away so that he could see her, wiping some of the tears off her face. Aang had already shed some tears himself too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-I'm freaking out too. I have absolutely no idea how to parent and I am still going to need some time to process and accept everything. But I'm here. We're in this together. You are not freaking out on your own." His voice trembled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara tangled her arms through his neck in a tight grip again. Aang dug his face onto the crook of her neck, and they both stayed like that for a couple of minutes, just standing in the middle of the building's hallway, holding each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they had calmed down a bit, they brewed some tea and shared it by the table, since they hadn't had a chance to order at the Jasmine Dragon. They both still had red eyes from all the crying. Katara poured some more hot tea into her cup and blew on it before taking a sip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, I had just looked at the test results when you arrived." She looked apologetic to him. "I couldn't even process it myself, let alone tell you. It took the last three days for me to have the guts to text you." He chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, I have such bad timing." Aang took a sip from his drink too, then took a long breath and held her hands through the table. "I'm sorry again for leaving you at the Jasmine Dragon. Sometimes I do stuff like that, isolating myself for a moment when I need to process something. It was just very big news so I panicked."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I forgive you, really." She squeezed his hands in reassurance. After a long silence, she stated, with a serious and concerned face. "What do we do now?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang's face darkened. "Do you not want to keep it? I-I mean, It's your choice."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara gulped. She had always wanted to become a mother. She always knew it was going to be a hard task, but she had desired it anyways. It was a terrible time to have a baby, but it wasn't the worst possible, right? At least she wasn't a teenager. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, no. I'm keeping it." The words just came out of her mouth without hesitation. She hid her face in her hands, sighing. "I have no idea how to handle it, but I... I want it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded, tightening his grip on her hands. His short black hair was a mess, and he was still sweaty from all the running. The tip of Aang's nose was red, probably from the cold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"When I left the tea shop, I called Gyatso because I was going nuts. He said that the pregnancy was a gift from the spirits. They wouldn't give us something we couldn't handle, right? Well, if it's meant to be... We can manage it. "</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah... We can." She fiddled with his fingers in her hand. "So, Gyatso knows?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. I just told him. Sorry I shared the news without your consent." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, it's fine. Suki and Toph are the only others who know that I'm pregnant so far. I didn't even tell my brother yet." Guilt was stamped in her features. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isn't your brother married to Suki?" Aang asked, with a confused face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He is. But she promised she wouldn't tell him. Suki said it was not her place to tell, but Sokka is very smart. I know he is going to figure it out soon." Katara pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have to figure out a way to tell him, but I'm anxious. He's very protective of me and I know he would just get too worried and lecture me on how irresponsible I was." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang leaned forward on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, your brother loves you. He's going to be supportive, I'm sure."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh, still. It's rough." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara stood up and started pacing back and forth through the living room, only for her mind to start wondering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What would her family think? Her dad would be shocked. Hakoda didn't even know she was dating anyone yet. He would probably join Sokka in the overprotectiveness. Gran-Gran, on the other hand, would be very happy. She had been begging for Sokka and Suki to start trying for a baby, even though they had been married for only three months. Pakku, her step-grandfather, would shoot her a disapproving look, that's for sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat on the couch with a huff and shook her head when she realized it was all nonsense. Aang sat beside her and put his hand on her shoulder, in an attempt to comfort her. Katara took his arm off her shoulder and hugged him instead. They cuddled on the couch, her head in the crook of his neck. It felt so right, with his hands running through her hair and his chin on the crown of her head. She heard his heartbeat, racing a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then a thought came to her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aang, what's going to happen with us?" She asked in a low voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean?" He leaned back a bit, to see her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Us. Our relationship. I've known you for a month. Now, we're... Having a baby." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a concern of hers. Most of her previous relationships had been messed up. She was in love with Aang, but it was all happening so fast. They had a baby on the way. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It all felt overwhelming. Could she handle both a pregnancy and a new relationship at the same time? Aang stared at her for a moment, then sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm in love with you, Katara. I want to be with you. But we can take things slow if you want, because of the baby. We have time." He said. "And I promise, I’ll be there for you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara's heart started beating fast. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did he really say that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm in love with you too." She said, in a whisper. His face got closer to hers, and they touched their foreheads. Aang ran his thumb through her cheek before pulling her in for a heated kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi! :) <br/>That was a bit of a hard chapter to write, but I hope you like how it turned out! <br/>From this point on, the months of the story will run a little bit faster.<br/>I will make the next update in only a couple of days. <br/> If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments! <br/>I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. DUDE, you're a DAD</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang and Katara go baby book shopping. Sokka is suspicious.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: slight mentions of blood</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>February 24th, Ba Sing Se</b>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>How to potty train in only three days</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>The emotional life of a toddler</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>How to raise your children into successful adults.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Aang read out loud from the covers of those books, putting all of them inside the shopping cart. “Hm...This seems nice, I want to raise a successful adult, don't you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang and Katara were already into three hours of shopping at a local bookstore. They had been looking up books at the parenting section and had already picked up an entire shopping cart full of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too, but our baby hasn’t even been born yet. Shouldn't we focus on the books we'll need now?” Katara said from the other aisle at the shop. She had been going through every single copy that laid on the maternity shelves, but unlike Aang, she had only picked up the ones she would need first: About pregnancy and new-born babies. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang appeared at the end of the empty aisle, holding up a book with a crying child on its cover, entitled 'Organic foods to help your toddler go potty'. He pouted, similarly to the kid on the cover, which made Katara giggle. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Sweetie, our baby is only one month old. Potty training will not be a problem for another two years." She walked up to him, bringing with herself the full shopping cart. "And by the way, I think we're going to explode our credit card limits."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> "Come on! There are not too many books in there!" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, there are. I can't even read all of that in nine months, and believe me, I'm a fast reader." She said, with a cocky grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowned playfully and started going through the copies they had already picked, counting how many there were. "... Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three..." Katara looked at him and giggled. "Okay, Okay. You've made your point. I can drop some, but we need to be prepared. Let's make it twenty-five books. Do you think that's a good amount, right?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Still not. Ten at best." She crossed her arms and shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ten!? No way. Twenty books, deal?" He raised his arm to shake her hand in agreement, but she didn't respond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ten, Aang."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nineteen"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nope."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Eighteen"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Still too many." Aang took a sharp breath and challenged her with his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Fifteen books. That's my final offer." He tried keeping the serious look on his face, but he couldn't keep a small grin from forming on his lips. Katara seemed to analyze the offer for a couple of seconds but then accepted it, with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After the handshake, she pulled him close by his arm and placed a kiss on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As it turned out, Aang didn't manage to trim down his selection of books. When they decided to go back home, it took three trips from the car to his apartment to carry all the books inside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara had been in his apartment a couple of times before, but she never really spent time there. It was a tiny space, with a bedroom, bathroom, living room, and a kitchen. It was filled with many more books and papers because Aang was a teacher, so she helped stack the baby books in the already existing piles in his living room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and hanging out. She had to leave early, though, for her night shift at the hospital, so they ordered some noodles for dinner, for it was one of the few things Katara could eat without feeling sick. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alone in his apartment, only with Appa's company, he starred at all the thirty-six books he managed to buy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good thing it was a sale</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. Aang picked up one of the pregnancy books, entitled '</span>
  <em>
    <span>DUDE, you're a DAD</span>
  </em>
  <span>', and sat down on his chair, petting the dog.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He might have to hurry on the reading.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka was feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>suspicious about Katara.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had always been close, so he could pick up on her when something was wrong. He knew Katara better than anyone else, so he was sure something was going on. He just didn't know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His suspicions started when she stayed sick for more than a week. Well, a stomach bug took a lot less time to pass. But he had let it slide because he thought she might have been on her period or something, and he didn't want to get into too much detail. When it continued throughout the month, he advised her that she should stop taking night shifts and overworking herself. It was probably the stress that was making her ill.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One day, when Sokka tried cooking dinner and made some questionable dumplings, she had to rush to the bathroom to throw up. He knew he wasn't a great cook, but he hadn't realized he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that bad</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then, there was that weird Sunday in which Suki visited Katara for a girls' night. When she came home, she had a very preoccupied face. Sokka had asked her if something was wrong, but she never answered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's not my place to tell, Sokka." She had repeated all week. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He knew something had happened to Katara, but she just wasn't telling him. He insisted and begged for the truth, but his wife hadn't caved in at all. So he decided to find out what was going on with Katara on his own.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka took his phone and found Aang's number in it. They had hung out only twice, at Toph's parties, but somehow he had his number. The water tribe boy sent a text to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Sokka</b>
  <span>: Hey, man! It's Sokka, Katara's brother. I need to talk to you about something important. Can I come over to your place? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried reaching Katara too, but she didn't pick up her phone. She just probably started her nightshift. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Right after Sokka and Suki had had their dinner, he saw a reply from Aang. He waited for Suki to go to the bathroom and left her a note, telling her he had to go out for an errand. Sokka took his coat and drove to his brother-in-law's place.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang was nervously cleaning his living room. He had stacked piles and piles of baby books there and had to move everything to his bedroom very fast, knowing that Sokka was already on his way. Appa didn't help either, as he kept walking in front of Aang while his vision was blocked by the books. He tripped almost three times over the dog. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had just moved the last pile when he heard the doorbell ring. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A very serious Sokka stood by the doorstep. He was glaring at Aang with an intimidating look in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, Sokka! Nice to see you again." Aang said, with a wide smile on his face, trying to lighten up the mood. The door was open wide, inviting him in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey." Sokka stepped into his apartment and looked at his surroundings, searching for any kind of imperfections there. Katara had started acting weird a couple of weeks after dating Aang, so he figured something was going on with him. Maybe he was a bad boy, like Jet, or Hahn. Katara hadn't the best records of boyfriends. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Appa started sniffing his feet and jumped to his knees. The dog was fuzzy and he drooled a lot, but deep down, Sokka thought he was cute. He wouldn't admit it, though, so he shooed him away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a small, cozy apartment. There were no leaking problems. It didn't smell like weed like Jet's place, which was a charm. It didn't have any improper posters on the wall. It was fully furnished, and it was very basic. Huh... At least the apartment passed the test. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So, what was that you needed to talk about, Sokka?" Aang inquired, getting a little uncomfortable with the examination he was doing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka took a seat by the armchair and took a long breath. Still eyeing Aang, he started to talk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I've noticed Katara has been acting very strange lately. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on, would you?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Acting weird? Do you mean the strange sickness? Uh... Nope, I know nothing about it." Aang put his hands on his pockets and rocked back and forth. Lying made him uncomfortable, but that news was Katara's to tell, not his.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Really? Nothing?" Sokka leaned forward in the chair, and rested his chin in his hand, with a mad stare at Aang. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No... I even suggested she should go to the doctor, but she didn't want to." It wasn't a complete lie. He had insisted she made an appointment soon. Sokka nodded at his comment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn't buying it, though. Aang had something to do with it. There was just something about him he didn't trust. Aang now petted Appa, who sat by his owner's feet and shook his tail in excitement. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh... Alright."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An awkward silence was established between them, and Sokka took more time looking at the stuff around the room. Near the chair he was sitting in, there were a couple of high school history textbooks and files with graded papers. A little pencil case and a highlighter laid by a book that had, in big letters on the cover, written '</span>
  <em>
    <span>DUDE, you're a DAD'. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, what?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes widened and he picked up the book. Aang tried to change the subject when he noticed it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So, how're things with your job? Katara told me you work in programming." He grinned, uncomfortable. Sokka turned his head to Aang with a stunned expression on his face, holding the book up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang gulped. Oh, damn, he forgot to take that book to the bedroom. He was reading it before Sokka arrived. Katara had warned him; Sokka was super smart, he would figure it out soon. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Aang, I need you to answer me with complete honesty: Is Katara pregnant?" He said in a low voice, making a slight pause in between his words, which only made him more terrifying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang scratched the back of his neck and cringed. He couldn’t take it anymore. "Yes."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka sat without moving for a whole minute, staring at Aang with a death glare. He looked at the book, and then to Aang again, leaving the copy at the side table before standing up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It all made sense to Sokka now. The suspicious sickness was pregnancy nausea. Suki knew all along. That Sunday was probably the day she found out. The dumplings he had cooked weren't actually that bad. The dots started connecting in his head, and the more sense it made, the angrier he got. He felt his heartbeat go faster, and his face got all red.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took a long breath, closing his eyes in a failed attempt to calm down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"YOU KNOCKED UP MY SISTER?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh... Technically yes, but..." Aang tried explaining.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'TECHNICALLY'? SHE'S PREGNANT AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Sokka exploded, and Aang raised his hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, hey. Calm down, Sokka. Everything is okay, I'm going to take care of-"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"MY SWEET, INNOCENT SISTER!" He interrupted Aang, shouting a lot louder if that was even possible. Appa growled, protective of his owner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before he knew it, his fist was in Aang's nose, and Appa's jaw in his leg.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What the hell were you thinking about?" Katara was mad as Sokka had never seen her before. She tightened the bandage in his sore fist. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ouch!" He complained.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finding the post-it note Sokka left for her after dinner, Suki knew exactly where he was. It only took a phone call to Toph, who knew where Aang’s address, and the girl was on her way. She got there soon enough to prevent a bigger fight, but Aang's nose was already bleeding, and Appa had already attacked Sokka. They drove to the hospital, much to Katara's surprise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Seriously, Sokka. Punching Aang in the face like that? Are you crazy?" Her brows were furrowed in a growling expression. She didn't look in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka was starting to regret it. His sister liked the guy, and he hadn't done anything too wrong. At least not illegal for now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Knocking up little sisters should be considered a crime</span>
  </em>
  <span>, He thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I told you I'm sorry." He winced in pain. "And I'm already paying the price. I had to take a Rabies vaccine. It was not pleasant." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She let go of his hand and looked at him in disappointment. Katara turned to a little sink in the clinic room and washed her hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I still don't get it. Why? Why are you that mad at him? He's a very nice guy."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"How could I not be mad at him, Katara? The guy is taking my little sister away from me!" He shouted. Her eyes started to water. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Sokka..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Our whole lives, Dad told me I was your big brother, and therefore, I should protect you. I should keep you out of trouble."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't need any protection." She argued. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and then eyed her stomach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Are you sure about that</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" He said, with a cocky voice. Katara threw a wet towel at him, annoyed. "Ouch, I'm wounded!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Good thing you are already in the hospital." She muttered under her breath. Sokka took a long sigh before continuing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's like you don't even need me anymore. You have Aang now." He looked down and fidgeted with the bandage in his hand. "We were always best friends. We used to tell each other everything, but now... Now you don't even tell me you're </span>
  <em>
    <span>pregnant</span>
  </em>
  <span>? My own wife knew about it, and she has known you for only three years. I've known you all your twenty-six years of existence." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara turned to him with a hurt expression. She had tears falling from her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course I still need you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Then why didn't you tell me?" He argued. She hesitated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I knew you would freak out. You'd get worried. I was going to tell you, I just couldn't figure out how."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"How about: 'Hey, brother, I'm pregnant!'? That's a good start." He looked down, with a frown. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sat beside him in the hospital bed. He had his bitten leg up in a chair, already wrapped up in gauze. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry." She whispered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm still mad you punched him, though."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm scared, Sokka." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Deep down, I'm scared of this whole pregnancy thing."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He petted her head, before standing up, with the help of some crutches. He stumbled to the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know, and I'm here for you." He looked at her face, which was already wet from the tears. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"See? I still need you." She hugged him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You do." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Katara had to go see another patient, Sokka looked for Aang and Suki. He found both of them sitting in one of the hospital's waiting rooms. Aang had his head up and Suki held some paper on his face, trying to make the bleeding stop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pouted in sympathy when she saw her husband hurt. Sokka took a seat next to Aang but didn't look at his face. It would make him feel more guilty. Suki figured they needed to sort some things out, so she stood up, leaving Aang to hold the paper by himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll go grab some water. Be right back." She kissed Sokka's cheek and made her way to the cafeteria.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The men sat in silence for a couple of minutes. The Water Tribe boy finally had the guts to look at Aang's face, and see the damage. There was a lot of blood, and he had some dark bags under his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry I broke your nose." He started.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I forgive you. I'm sorry Appa bit you too. He's usually calm."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I deserved it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, you kinda did," Aang replied, with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka felt like punching him again, but he resisted the impulse. Katara would be too mad.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"As Katara's brother, I still have to make sure that you are good enough for her. I hope you are treating my sister well, dude. You better be."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang stared back at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>treating her very well and I hope I'm making her happy. I'm in </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>with you sister, Sokka." He grinned at the thought of her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Good. Keep up with it." Sokka stood up, with difficulty. "Oh, and just one more thing: If you ever dare to break her heart, I'll break more than just your nose. Believe me, now I am armed." He gestured to his crutches, then walked away, looking for Suki, and left a stunned Aang there, sitting in the hospital's waiting room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi!!! :) <br/>This is one of my favorite chapters so far, and it was just soooo fun to write it! <br/>I hope you like it &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Steps Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang helps his friend Zuko with wedding planning</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>March 6th, Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stepped out of the car and made his way to Zuko's penthouse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had been looking forward to that day for a long time. Some of his best friends were getting married, so he was very happy for them. Mai and Zuko were a weird couple, that he didn't understand sometimes, but they complimented each other amazingly. The man's tendency to hotheadedness was perfectly balanced with Mai's cold and brooding attitude, and they made their relationship work pretty well. Aang had known Zuko since they were kids, and Mai since college, in Caldera city, and the couple had been together for more than ten years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Aang rang the bell and no one answered, he looked for the hidden key under the carpet and let himself in. As he opened the door, he almost choked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The penthouse had always been a modern and serious place, but that day, it was filled with many flowers, ribbons, and table cloths. Aang had never seen the place so colorful. In the middle of the living room, there were many tables set up with expensive cutlery, each one with a different color pattern. A long tray with many cakes and sweets was arranged there. He stood by the door, taking in every detail.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"PINK? Are you serious?" He spotted an angry Mai, struggling to walk through the room, for the tables got in her way. She was followed by an older woman, who he recognized to be her mother, Michi. Mai rarely lost her composure, so she must have been extremely stressed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But, Mai, this is one of the most important days of your life! You have to let us make it beautiful!" Michi argued, walking behind her daughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is</span>
  <em>
    <span> too much</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I don't want a princess wedding!" Mai yelled, looking disgusted by the sight of one of the cakes. "I told you: No glitter, no ribbons, and absolutely nothing fluffy!" She kept trying to navigate through the many tables until she saw Aang. "Oh, hey."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey. Sorry, I let myself in." He said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's okay. I needed something to get me away from all of this." She finally got to the door, rushing past it. "You take it from here, I'm going to get some fresh air." The door was closed with a loud thud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michi had a frown on her face, staring at all the flower arrangements. Aang put a hand on her shoulder, in empathy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, don't take it personally. The flowers are beautiful, really. And the cake samples look delicious."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, Aang. I'll pack some for you to take home. So, why the visit? Are you here to see Zuko?" Michi said, with a caring look on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. He said he needed some help." He answered, only to see the Fire Nation boy in the hallway, staring in shock at the state of the room. "Speaking of which..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What the... Did a unicorn vomit here?" He muttered, but then blushed when he noticed his mother-in-law was in the room too. "I-I mean, they are very... nice flowers. Very... very pink. Hey Aang." He waved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michi huffed and walked away, annoyed, and sat down to eat some cake. Zuko's dark hair fell on his golden, wide-opened eyes, which analyzed his surroundings. He was more pale than usual, and held a red tie on his hand, looking very tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, buddy. What was that you needed help with?" Aang patted his friend on the back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My ring. Mai's ring fits perfectly, but mine is a little loose. I need to fix it. And my suit fitting. Mai likes my black suits, but I read online that dark-blue symbolizes loyalty, and that's good for a wedding, right?" Zuko started speaking so fast it was hard to keep up. He had sharp breathing and a maniacal expression. He looked at the tie on his hands and added. "Oh, and I'm reconsidering the color of the tie. Michi said a golden one would make my eyes stand out. Do you have any idea what that means?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It means it matches your eyes." His mother-in-law answered, from the table, with her mouth stuffed with cake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, okay." He looked around the room, searching for his coat. "Hm... I guess I'll stick with the red one. Sorry, Michi. But, hey, how have you been? It's been such a crazy week I couldn't reach you." He turned to greet Aang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, my girlfriend is pregnant and I'm going to become a father</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought of saying. However, he decided against it. The first trimester of the pregnancy was critical, according to his parenting books. It wasn't the best choice to tell everyone right away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, nothing much. Things have been going really well with Katara. The only bad part was when her brother broke my nose, last month." A half-true story. That was easier to keep up with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He broke your nose!? Oh, spirits, are you ok?" Zuko looked at him, shocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm fine. Turns out a broken nose doesn't take too much time to heal." Aang giggled. "I just can't play dodgeball or go kart-racing and stuff. It's not like it's interrupting my routine." He shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zuko laughed and they both made their way out. They saw Mai, sitting at the building's lobby, with a cigarette in her hand. She had stopped smoking a couple of years prior, but always got back to it when she got stressed. Having to plan a wedding was quite the task, so Aang wasn't surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang noticed the maniacal look on Zuko ceased the moment he saw her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow, they were meant for each other, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. She waved them goodbye, and they set their way to the jewelry store. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, is your mom coming to help with the wedding planning?" Aang asked. They sat in the car, making their way to the shopping mall where the store was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zuko's family was quite influential in the Fire Nation because his father used to be the owner of a big company. When Ozai was finally arrested for the many crimes he committed, though- one of them visible on Zuko's face- the family was distanced from the tabloids. His mother, sisters, and step-father still lived in Caldera City, but as soon as he graduated college, Zuko decided to move to Ba Sing Se with his uncle Iroh and Aang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ursa was a very kind woman, which mismatched Ozai's personality completely. Aang never really understood why they had gotten married in the first place. She deserved so much better than an abusive husband. Luckily, after her divorce was final, Ursa reencountered Ikem, a childhood friend of hers, and they married. Now, she had a much better life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, she's coming, but just a month before. Ikem was stuck at work and Kiyi still has school. Well, too bad for me. I have to control Michi all on my own now." Zuko answered with a sour voice, from the driver's seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, Zuko. Michi is just trying to help. She has a very different taste than you and Mai, but her intentions are good." Aang stated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh, I know. It's just so stressful." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I understand, buddy." Aang shot him a compassionate look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang and Zuko had known each other for a very long time, but they only became close when they became college roommates in Caldera City. Gyatso was an old friend of Iroh, so when Aang decided he wanted to study abroad, the old men made the boys share a dorm. That was also when he met Toph, because the Beifong's had been acquaintances with Zuko's family for many years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they got to the mall and found a parking spot, they made their way to the shop, where Iroh was already waiting for them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nephew, Aang! It's nice to see you!" He pulled them into a tight hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Iroh, I didn't know you'd be here!" Aang said, happily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Didn't I tell you? Oh, man, I must have forgotten it." Zuko groaned. "UHG... This week has been crazy! Planning weddings is just so hard! And Michi... My mother-in-law is living under my roof and she's insufferable!" He told his uncle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh and Aang laughed, and patted Zuko on the back, in an attempt of comfort.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mothers-in-law are insufferable, yes. But it gets better, I promise." Iroh stated, in a soft voice. "Now, let's see those rings, shall we? Is it just the size you need to fix?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The uncle and nephew started heading to the counter, talking about Michi and chatting, and Aang stayed behind, letting his mind wander. In the display of the shop, he saw many beautiful, shiny rocks. Earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, each one more delicate and luxurious than the other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then, his eyes stopped at the engagement rings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Specifically one of them: Its most prominent feature was the big blue diamond in the middle, adorned by other smaller diamonds. It was a piece of art, so delicate as it was. And the rock's color reminded him of something, or better, someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ring matched her eyes, he thought. It would look good on her. Aang looked around, hoping Zuko and Iroh wouldn't see him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His conscience screamed at him to stop, drop the ring and forget about everything. After all, he had only been dating Katara for two months. They hadn't ever talked about marriage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But why should they wait if he knew he wanted her? She was his girlfriend, but that title seemed too small. She was carrying his child, and he loved her. The idea of that ring on her hand seduced him. Aang wanted to have that picture-perfect family: Him, Katara, and their baby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, he called a shop attendant and bought the ring. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was expensive, but he figured she deserved it. Aang put the ring bag on one of his jacket's pockets, trying to sneak past his friends, but when he turned around, it was too late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Iroh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He looked at Aang with a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, Zuko was just telling me things were going great with the Water Tribe girl you are dating, but I hadn't imagined it would be that great." He said, with a steady voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... Yeah. It's great, Iroh, really." Aang was now blushing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How long have you known her for? Have you put any thought into this?" The older man now looked concerned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For two months. But I'm in love with her. I want to be with her. Isn't that enough?" Aang didn't understand. Iroh had been so insistent he went back to dating and meeting new people when they got to Ba Sing Se. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh took a long breath and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. His wary eyes stared at him with compassion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It might not be enough." The boy was confused but mostly upset that Uncle wasn't supportive of him. "You should not rush into these things. Take a look at Zuko and Mai: They have known each other their entire lives, but it still took them almost ten years to decide to get married. I'm sure Katara is a lovely girl, but put some more thought into it. Sometimes, it's best not to let your heart lead you blindly. You might end up getting hurt."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-I..." Aang tried to come up with a good comeback, but he couldn't. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily, Zuko walked away from the counter, holding a package with his new rings, interrupting the conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Rings: Check. Now, there is a fitting for the tux in half an hour. Oh, and the tie." He turned to Aang, his eyes showing he was still in distress. "Do you think Michi was right after all? Golden tie or red tie?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You had already settled for the red tie, buddy." The three of them made their way out of the shop, walking through the crowded shopping mall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But what if I made the wrong choice?" Zuko whimpered, making his uncle laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Believe, me: A golden tie would be horrible. Don’t trust Michi with this one.” Iroh patted the nephew's shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang walked a little behind the men. With his brows furrowed in worry, he let out a deep sigh. The newly-bought ring weighed on his pockets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What if Iroh was right? What if they weren't ready?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pondered over it for a moment, his logical side suddenly talking louder than his emotional. Of course they weren’t ready. Things were going too fast and it would scare Katara away if he proposed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang took the ring box from his jacket and stared at it for a moment. Get it together, He thought, We already have so much going on right now. He shoved the box again inside his pockets, as deep as he could. When he got home, he would just hide it, and not look at it for many months.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all, they had the time. He didn’t have to propose right away. He could just keep the ring until the moment was right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang took a deep breath and walked faster, catching up with Zuko and Iroh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, waiting seems fine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that was the update! :)<br/>I hope you all liked it! If you have any comments, feel free to share them! <br/>See you next chapter! Thanks for reading &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Give me Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Katara's world has turned upside down, and had pretended to be fine for too long.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>March 13th, Ba Sing Se </b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now, at almost two months pregnant, Katara was finding the special treatment quite annoying. Don't get her wrong, she appreciated the love and support she was getting from her friends, especially from Sokka and Aang. But she was getting sick of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn't allowed to carry her bags anymore, because they were too heavy, according to the boys. Sokka would call her every day, and lecture her for hours on how important it was to take vitamins regularly. Suki would send her several pictures of baby bedrooms. Toph was being especially nice to her, and stopped punching her in the arm, as she used to do to 'show affection'. Aang would tell her the entire content of some of his pregnancy books. Her friends had stolen every single alcoholic beverage from her house, even though she was aware she couldn't drink it, just to be sure she wouldn't.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara really appreciated it and found it quite cute that they cared so much, but it was driving her mad.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every time someone mentioned the baby, she got irrationally disturbed. If she was being honest, she just wanted to forget about it for a moment. She still had seven months, and she was totally fine with procrastinating her motherly responsibilities for a couple more weeks. But everyone just seemed to remind her of her pregnancy constantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She just needed a minute of peace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was her original plan for that Saturday: Eating ice cream and doing a TV show marathon, all by herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until she heard her phone ring, of course. She paused the episode and sighed as she accepted the call. Her brother started bombarding her with questions from the other side of the line.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How are you doing? Having morning sickness? Have you been drinking enough water, Katara?" Sokka said, in a concerned voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There it was</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>The daily reminder of the pregnancy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, hello to you too, Sokka." She said, with a salty voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey. Answer me, are you okay?" He said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I'm fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Suki just asked if you saw her Pinterest board with Montessorian baby bedrooms. Isn't it cute?" Sokka said, doing a high-pitched voice at the end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. Very cute. But is there anything else you would like to say? I'm kind of in the middle of an episode of Ruins Of Omashu."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's that? Sounds boring." He said with a groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not boring! It's a good TV show. It's basically just a bunch of historians saying that the city was built by Aliens. It's very funny. They are super crazy." She scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hm... Not for me then. But, yes, there is something else. Suki just found out that there is an antique shopping fair in the Middle Ring Park, and she is wondering if you would like to come with us." There was a distinguished noise in the background. His wife screamed something at him, so he completed it. "Okay, okay. She's wondering if you and... And Aang would like to come."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since the day Sokka found out she was pregnant, he had shown immense dislike of Aang. It didn't help, of course, that Sokka's leg was still sore from the Appa's bite. He had to wear crutches for two weeks or so. The two men managed to avoid any kind of contact with each other for the entire month until Suki started pressuring her husband to make amends. After all, Aang was going to be the father of their nephew or niece. They needed to get along for the sake of the baby.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh... I was actually planning on staying at home today." She answered, sinking further into her bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please, Katara. I have never asked you for anything..." He whispered on the phone so that his wife couldn't hear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, you have." She interrupted him, but he just continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... She's going to invite Aang anyway, even if you don't come, and I don't think I can keep myself from breaking his nose again. Please, I need you to keep me in line." Sokka said very quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh... Fine." She rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes! I love you! Toph's coming too. I’m glad! It will be too boring for me to take it alone. Seriously, who goes antique shopping? Gran-Gran?" He mocked and suddenly yelped, and Katara heard a loud thud from the phone. "Ouch, Suki hit me with a pillow. We can give you a ride. We'll pick you up in half an hour. Got to go, bye."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hung up the phone and Katara groaned. She only had half an hour to get ready, but she didn't feel like leaving her bed. She texted Aang, inviting him to the fair, and made her way to the shower, crawling out of her bed with displeasure.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka, Suki, and Katara made their way to the Middle Ring Park and walked through the crowd to get to the antique sales.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a beautiful afternoon. Many children were playing in the slides and swings, screaming and laughing. A man played the tsungi horn under a tree, and the people passing by put coins inside his hat, laying on the floor. A crowd gathered around him too, listening and enjoying the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they got closer to the sales spot, Katara saw Aang and Toph, sitting on a bench. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, guys!" Suki said, greeting them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi!" Toph replied. She punched Sokka and Suki in the arm, and was about to punch Katara, but then stopped herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aang." Her brother greeted him, with a serious face. "I hope your nose is healing well." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it turned out, a broken nose only took about three weeks to heal. It had swollen a lot in the first days, and dark bags under his eyes had appeared. His students at the High School had been terrified of it, and many rumors about him started spreading around campus. They speculated Aang had been involved in a gang fight or had been kidnapped by the Dai Li.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you. It's almost as good as new. I just can't do some specific activities for another month, like kart-racing." He responded, in a more friendly tone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka raised his brows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you usually go kart-racing? That's very dangerous. You could die. If you die, you would leave my sister alone with your child. If you leave my sister alone I will have no choice but to hunt you down in the afterlife." He had a maniacal expression now, which made Katara roll her eyes. "You wouldn't like that, would you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry, Sokka. I don't like kart-racing anyway." Aang replied, with a bit of a grin on his face. He actually found Sokka terrifying when he was threatening him, but it was funny to pretend to be aloof. It drove the Water Tribe man mad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara took Aang's arm and kissed him on the cheek to greet him. Sokka gagged, but she ignored him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oogie."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The five of them walked through the fair, but quickly got separated, each making their way looking at the different products. Near a gazebo, there were many people gathered around an old chair, bidding on it. The prices were high, but the salesperson claimed it had belonged to the Earth King's private study. Suki rushed to the crowd, hoping the chair would match the newly bought table Sokka was struggling to carry around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toph had been immersed in the jewelry stand, next to where Katara was. She loved studying about rocks and precious stones, so she was having the time of her life arguing with the salesperson, yelling that those weren't real amethysts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara stood by, laughing at Toph's outburst, looking at a candlestick stand. She scattered through a box and found one particularly amusing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was made out of pure silver and had pointy pieces on the sides, similar to the petals of a flower. They were sharp, and she almost hurt herself. She weighed it in her hands, looking at the tiny details in the base. It matched her living room, so she was about to buy it when she heard someone behind her. She jumped in surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Careful, I'm not sure that's baby proof." Aang said, hugging her from the behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed, being once again reminded of the baby. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She couldn't get just a couple more days of peace, could she? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, the baby is not coming for another seven months. And I think I can handle a pointy candlestick, which is, by the way, fifty percent off." Katara turned to look at his face, pouting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright, alright. Buy the candlestick then." He kissed her forehead. She kept the frown on her face, much to Aang's confusion. She approached the saleswoman that was responsible for the candlesticks and asked how much it cost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, great choice! This piece came from the Northern Air Temple, and it belonged to the famous Guru Laghima. It would be only sixty yuans." The woman glanced at Katara with a wide smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang looked at it with a raised eyebrow, but then smiled and spoke, in a sarcastic tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow! Guru Laghima? Gyatso used to tell me about his tales when I was little. I thought it was only a </span>
  <em>
    <span>legend</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Aang shot the woman a challenging look, realizing she was trying to pull a scam. The woman's face was suddenly very pale, and her eyes widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nope, he existed. And that's his candlestick." She tried shrugging it off, but Aang had tricked her already.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Miss, Guru Laghima didn't exist, and if he did, it was a long time before these kinds of candlesticks were produced. Would you consider a lower price?" He then whispered to Katara. "Years of teaching history are finally paying off."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine. Ten yuans. That's my final price." She blushed in embarrassment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara paid the woman and took the candlestick, putting it in a shopping bag, that was quickly taken out of her hands by Aang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let me carry this for you. It's heavy, and you shouldn't be carrying so much weight, Sweetie." Katara huffed in annoyance but, as he didn't notice it, he continued talking. Katara usually loved hearing him talk about history, for it was something he was so passionate about that it was adorable to see his excitement. "You know, according to the legend, Guru Laghima was so enlightened that he let go of all his earthly attachments and managed to fly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's cool." She said, with a scowl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Laghima is a very meaningful name for the Air Nomads, you know. And a beautiful one too." He continued, eyeing Katara, suggestively. "What do you think about it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... It's alright, I guess." She replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isn't it a good name for our baby?" He added, with a grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't take it anymore. Katara stopped walking and took a long breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why does </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>now has to be about the baby?" She said, shooting him an angry look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean? You're pregnant." Aang said, confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tell me, why? I am sick of only hearing about it. Why does everyone have to keep reminding me of it every single second that I'm pregnant? It's not like I can't remember it on my own. I puke my guts out every day! That's a pretty good reminder." She started screaming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're pregnant. It's a major change in our lives. It's only natural that we talk about it." He tried arguing. She wasn't making any sense to him. "Is this about the whole protectiveness thing? We just want you to be safe, that's it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"B-But... I-I..." She tried to explain it, but a bunch of emotions was exploding inside of her. "UHG!" She grabbed the shopping bag from Aang's hand and made her way out of the antique fair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara wasn't making sense to herself either. Yes, she was mad at Sokka and Aang because they were being so protective of her. But it wasn't just that. At least, at the moment, she was the maddest at Aang for being right: The bag with the candlestick really was too heavy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She groaned in annoyance and walked away from the shopping stand, making her way to the car.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it turned out, Katara had forgotten that it was Sokka who had given her a ride to the park, so she couldn't just take the car and leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat down on a park bench, facing a playground, and looked at the children playing there with a pouty expression on her face. She felt so silly and embarrassed for throwing such a tantrum in the middle of the fair. And even more that she couldn't make a dramatic exit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To sum up, she was confused about everything. She was scared of pregnancy and motherhood. She was mad at the spirits for twisting her life upside down, and she was mad at her own body for being constantly nauseous. And every time her friends mentioned the baby, she felt triggered, because it reminded her of all that inner turmoil. Katara wished she could simply forget about it for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She groaned and hid her face in her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was she having such a bad time accepting it? Well, she understood she was pregnant, that there was a life growing inside of her. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. But Katara didn't feel that intense joy most women experienced when finding out they were pregnant. In the past, when she thought of her future as a teenager, she usually imagined she would finish college, become a nurse, get married and then try for a baby. A child she </span>
  <em>
    <span>planned</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and that came at the right time and right place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although she had always been a bit emotional, she felt like she was being taken away by a hurricane of feelings that were out of control. She also hated feeling out of control, and that was stressing her out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara felt someone sit beside her on the bench and looked up. Aang gazed at her with a worried look in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you okay?" She didn't answer. He put a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears started prickling in her eyes again, much to her annoyance. Katara hid her face on his chest, as he pulled her in for a hug, and Aang brushed his hands through her hair. On his shoulder, she cried quietly for a couple of minutes, while he held her close and pressed kisses on the crown of her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she felt her tears stop falling, she leaned back and dried her eyes. Aang looked at her with sad, confused eyes. Katara avoided looking him in the eye and ran her hands through his sweater, now wet from the tears, smoothing it out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sweetie, what's wrong?" He asked her, holding her face fondly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just... Ugh, never mind." She shrugged, wiping her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, you can tell me." His voice, low and comforting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-I... I'm confused. And angry, and scared and..." Katara took a long breath and looked down. "Last month, it just felt like a fever dream. We bought those baby books to prepare ourselves, we talked about it but... It still didn't feel real. It hadn't really sunk in that I would have a baby. A child."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt more tears come to her eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Spirits, why was she crying so much?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A-And now... It's starting to get so real. It's what everyone is talking about. I'm being bombarded with Suki's Pinterest boards for baby rooms twenty-four seven. And Sokka... He's calling every two hours to check in on me! It's so overwhelming!" She exclaimed and buried her face in Aang's shoulder again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked down and stayed silent for a moment. Then, he continued, with a chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess I'm also doing that too, right?" He said and kissed her head again. "I'm so sorry."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara kissed his shoulder and held his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It 's fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, it's not. I'll try to be less obsessive over it too, promise." Aang continued. "I just wanted to keep you and our baby safe, but I did go too far."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I forgive you, Sweetie." Her face was still buried on his shoulder, and they sat there for a couple more minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kids ran through the playground, shouting and having fun, in the swings and sliders. As they watched the people of the Middle Ring have their fun in the park, the sun was setting, leaving beautiful pink and orange tones in the sky. When it was already getting dark, they walked back to the antique fair, to meet with the rest of the group, holding each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, there's another thing I needed to tell you, Aang." Katara remembered, with her arm on his waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure, what is it?" He asked, seeing a grin form on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There is absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way</span>
  </em>
  <span> I'm letting you name our child Laghima." </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi!<br/>I'm sorry it took a while to upload, but I have been very busy, and a little stuck on my writing. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. <br/>I also wanted to say that I am sooo glad for the hits, kudos and comments! They really make my day, and they make me feel so special!&lt;3 &lt;3<br/>Well, I hope you guys have a great day and see you next chapter! ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The blob</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's the day of Katara's first doctor's appointment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>March 17th, Ba Sing Se</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang had been holding Katara's hand ever since they walked inside the Middle Ring Hospital. As it was the first doctor's appointment of the entire pregnancy, both were a pile of nerves. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara squeezed his hand harder while she bounced her leg in anxiety. Aang was terrified too but managed to hide it better, in an attempt to be strong for the both of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He remembered a quote from one of his parenting books: </span>
  <em>
    <span>A woman goes through a lot during pregnancy, so it's your job as a partner to be supportive, at all times</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Aang sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. It was being hard, very hard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had been a pile of nerves these past months. Aang felt so insecure about his parenting abilities. It felt like there was a little monster whispering on his head, making him feel incapable of raising a child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang always tried his best to keep the monster quiet. He read the books in a marathon, sometimes two a day, to make himself learn at all costs. However, he didn't feel secure at all, and the damned monster kept coming back. He tried to distract himself with work and friends too, but it didn't make much of a difference. Every time he laid in bed, ready for sleep, the monster's whispers became louder. To sugar-coat it, he was exhausted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked around, repressing a huff, a little disturbed by the medical environment. The doctors rushed through the hallways, which smelled like antiseptics, and that was a little unsettling. Aang had never met up with Katara at her workplace, so the only time he had been in that hospital was when Sokka broke his nose, the previous month. He cringed at the bad memory, hoping that, after that appointment, he would get nicer ones at the place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang checked the clock on the waiting room's wall. He flinched a little when it turned to 5 PM exactly, the time of the appointment. Doctors were always a little bit late, but still, it was nerve-racking. Trying to focus on his breathing, like Gyatso taught him, he turned to his side and looked at his girlfriend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought she looked very cute when nervous. Katara's eyebrows were scrunched up together and she bit her lower lip, pouting a little. Her big blue eyes were staring at the floor with much fervor. Aang brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, which softened her features a little, and consequently, helped ease himself too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was hard living with that big pile of uncertainties that he had. Let alone pretend he wasn't feeling nervous at all. But he kept trying, in hopes it would at least make Katara feel less unburdened. It was all worth it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he felt her clench his hand and stand up, inhaling sharply. He followed her eyes and saw a doctor, standing with a clipboard on her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara, you can come in." </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara saw patient's butts every day at work, because of the hospital clothes, which were open on the back. So it felt unsettling to be the one wearing it, and not the one laughing at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had run many check-up exams on her already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was aware of what was going to happen in the appointment, and what kind of medical procedures it would involve. She had even picked one of her trusted co-workers, a woman named Song to be her obstetrician. However, she was still very nervous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After her meltdown at the Middle Ring Park, the previous weekend, she started taking the pregnancy more seriously. As it turned out, she had felt it was a lot easier to process things when she talked to Aang. But it wasn't that she was nervous about that moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara had spent the entire day remembering some disturbing pictures of a pediatric medical book, much to her displeasure. She knew of every single one of the things that could go wrong in this stage of the pregnancy, and it scared her in such a way that she wished she had never gotten her degree at all. It was best to stay in ignorance than feel that freaked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stood beside her at all times, which she found a little unsettling. She did feel self-conscious about the hospital gown at first but brushed it away very quickly. Even though he respectfully looked away every time she stood up, he had seen it all before anyway. It weirded her out to have him there at all times during medical procedures, after all, they weren't </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>intimate, but she didn't have the guts to ask him to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His shoulders were very tense, and she could tell something was wrong with him. However, every time she was caught staring at him, preoccupied, he would give her a reassuring smile. It didn't convince Katara, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang's eyes flickered through the obstetrician's clinic, just like they had done over every other exam room she had gone through. He stared fiercely at a uterus figure, that held a plastic baby inside, and poked the fake child, making the whole organ display fall from the table. He blushed and put the pieces together again, quickly. Just as he did so, Dr. Song walked into the room. Katara drew a sharp breath but managed to smile at her doctor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pre-examination moment, as she had expected. They talked a little about some of the things that she wasn't allowed to do- like drinking, doing heavy exercise, having caffeine-, the vitamin complements she could take, and the general recommendations for the first trimester. She already knew many of those things, as she worked in the medical field, but she was still a little relieved to have a real obstetrician, someone else to give her a medical opinion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dr. Song suggested, also, many preparatory classes that would come in handy in the future. She handed both of them flyers of first-aid, breastfeeding, and labor classes. Seeing the pictures in the latter flyer, Aang's eyes almost popped out of their orbits, but he managed to keep it cool. Or he thought so. He cooled out a little when they got into a deep conversation about Mommy &amp; Daddy Yoga classes, as he was really into spiritual practices like this. Then, as Song prepared her tools for the ultrasound, he talked excitedly about the Air Nomadic tradition of yoga. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you know that there are records of up to three thousand years old proving that the eastern Air Nomads practiced yoga? They were found in one of the temples just a few years ago. The historical community went crazy over it!" His eyes gleamed, behind all of his worries.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara smiled, but the yoga talk hadn't relaxed her. She kept staring apprehensively at the obstetrician and the machine in front of her as she laid down in the hospital bed. She pulled Aang's hand close to her and held onto his arm. He kept talking about the cultural significance of something- she didn't listen-, and stopped as Song started her examination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What if she was having one of the abnormal conditions in her pregnancy? What if the baby wasn't developing as it should be?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She groaned, wanting to get rid of these disturbing thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Dr. Song put the cold gel on Katara's belly, she flinched a little. It was colder than she had expected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ultrasound screen made a weird, bubbly noise. If Katara hadn't been trained to have a specialist's eye, she wouldn't have understood what she was seeing. Aang probably didn't, as he had a confused expression on his face. It appeared to be just a bad quality image, with a bunch of black and white smudges. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it wasn't. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a tiny little dot that could be distinguished on the screen. The image flickered in the ultrasound as the doctor examined it, with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara gulped. She shot a look at the woman, breathless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is it...?" She asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, there it is." Song confirmed, grinning at the couple's reactions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't believe her eyes, and she couldn't take them off the picture. It was hypnotizing. She only realized she had stared at it for too long when Aang tugged at her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... Where is it?" Aang asked. He had his eyebrows scrunched up together. "All I see is a bunch of </span>
  <em>
    <span>blobs</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"T-There, Sweetie. It's that bigger one, in the middle." Katara pointed to it, gluing her eyes to the screen again, and Song confirmed it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A big smile was formed on Aang's face, and in his eyes, the confused gaze had disappeared, leaving room for tears of joy. He kissed Katara's forehead and started laughing in excitement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm this blob's father." He whispered, and it seemed like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Song continued examining the womb with the ultrasound equipment, and Aang couldn't stop grinning. Katara smiled too, though less bright, as her face also became wet from the tears. She kissed his knuckles as he dried some of his tears off his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Doctor, is there any way you can print this picture? I want to keep it forever, seriously. I'm going to make thousands of copies and glue them around my apartment. Maybe I'll tattoo it on my arm." Aang started scrambling words together, excitedly. As he spoke, Katara patted her cheeks dry and took a deep breath, to calm herself down, and zoned out for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little blob was so tiny, and she thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Her worries washed away at the sight of her baby. Looking at it, she felt surprisingly calm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That is until the obstetrician spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, here it is. Found the heartbeat." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To say the least, Katara hadn't been ready for this. It was usually uncommon for a heartbeat to be heard this early on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes opened wide, and she quieted down, as her boyfriend laughed out loud, overjoyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Spirits, this is the best day of my life!" He grinned at the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They heard a small, low beat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was her child's heartbeat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was all real, very real.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, no.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her memories of the day she found out she was pregnant seemed to fade away too. That feeling of fear and anxiousness had been nothing compared to this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, she definitely wasn't prepared for this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The heartbeat echoed in her ears, in a sweet melody. There was a life inside of her. Her child. A baby. It was such a precious thing...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't mess this up. At all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had lost her mother very young. Katara didn't have a mother figure to look up to, besides her Gran-Gran. What if she was unable to be a good mother? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, her bubble of thought popped when she heard Aang call her name, many times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara... Are you listening?" He inquired, with a grin on his lips, that was fading away every second she stayed quiet, in her shock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, Aang. There was also the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aang </span>
  </em>
  <span>situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their relationship was rushed, that's for sure. She loved spending time with him. To be honest, she loved him, but she didn't feel ready to say it yet. It was all moving too fast. Now, she was bound to him forever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wished they could just enjoy time together, taking things slow. She wished they could date and have fun, before getting too serious. That they could celebrate many anniversaries, many special occasions together before they got engaged and married. Only then would they think about babies, and starting their family.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was what Katara dreamed of. That she could have a picture-perfect life, according to the plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the Spirits loved messing with her, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she stared blankly at his face, she couldn't help but think he was a bit of a stranger. She had only met him in January. Katara had known him for just three months. Although they had spent a lot of time together after that, she still felt like she didn't even know him. She didn't know his family, his friends, his little quirks, and manners. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was having a child with a man she didn't know yet. And it became a little too much for her to take.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her breathing became sharper, but she shrugged it off, going back to reality. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get it together, Katara</span>
  </em>
  <span>, She thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... sorry, Sweetie. What did you say?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That we should print the sonogram picture and hang it on the wall." He had a preoccupied face, as he put a strand of hair behind her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, sure." She smiled faintly, which she hoped would convince him, but it only deepened the frown on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara, are you okay?" He asked in a whisper. His stormy gray eyes stared at her with a lot of compassion and hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, I'm fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face said otherwise. No, she wasn't okay. Katara gulped, feeling a knot in her throat as she held his palm with both her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the appointment, they sat down at a table, at a coffee shop next to the hospital, ordering hot chocolate. Katara avoided his gaze unable to look at his face, stirring her cup with concentration. Aang brushed her hand with his thumb, making her flinch a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That threw him off. He knew something was wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had just experienced one of the best things in his life. He saw and heard his child. It felt precious, and he thought the feeling would last forever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, looking at Katara's reaction, he felt disappointed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did she not feel that way too?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara, what's wrong?" He asked once more, hoping she would share it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a long breath and closed her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm a mother." She whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know. That's amazing, right?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It is. But it's a lot." She finally looked at his eyes, and he could see tears on her face. Aang put a hand on her shoulder, as she continued. "And... Everything's a little unsure to me. Like... us."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Us?" He raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Our relationship. I have known you for only two months. And I know we've spent a lot of time together within these few months, but I... I feel like I don't know you that well." She shot him a regretful look. As she saw the disappointment in his eyes grow, she continued. "I-I mean, I know you are an amazing person, but I don't know trivial stuff about the father of my child, you know? Like, what's your favorite color? Or your favorite pie flavor? These are things I should know, but I don't." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sipped his hot chocolate with caution.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're worried about not knowing me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The coffee shop was getting empty as the sky turned pink, welcoming the night. Some of the waiters talked behind the counter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My favorite color is yellow, and I love apple pie." He grinned. "Shoot the next question." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara was confused. She raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... What?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let's do a quiz. Ask me anything, and I have to answer it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She chuckled, feeling a weight lift off her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A lightning round of questions began to be asked and quickly answered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright. What's your favorite vacation spot?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ember Island."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Least favorite typical food?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stewed sea prunes, sorry." Katara scoffed, dramatically, at his response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What did you want to be when you were small?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A monk, like Gyatso."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What made you give up?" She raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pretty girls."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laughed together. Katara was already feeling a lot better, just from asking those few questions, but it still wasn't enough. She looked down and asked another one, in a quieter tone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you scared of being a parent too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm terrified." He took her hands from across the table, kissing her knuckles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang's eyes shimmered at the sight of her. In times like that, when he acted all cute and sweet, Katara felt inebriated by him too. She suddenly had the urge of running her hands through his short hair and pulling him in for a kiss, but she had to control herself because after all, they were in a public space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I love you" Katara spluttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes opened wide and he stopped smiling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did he hear it right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know that's not a question but..." She blushed as she tried to explain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You love me? Like... Love me?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes." She smiled. "Very much so."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A big grin was formed on his face. He blushed and started laughing, just like he had done earlier, at the hospital.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is literally the best day of my life." He said as he pulled her in for a kiss over the table. "I love you too, Sweetie."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang spent the rest of the evening with Katara at the coffee shop, playing the quiz game and staring at her beautiful red lips, her rosy cheeks, and her eyes. Her big, blue, shiny eyes, which hypnotized him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That tone of blue reminded him of something with the same color and brightness. Something he had hidden in his sock drawer at home, afraid it would be a too big step. The blue diamond of the ring beamed as bright as her eyes in his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She loved him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So maybe...</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey!!<br/>This chapter was a little hard for me to write, but I hope you all still like it. :)<br/>Thank you sooooo much for all the comments, hits and kudos! They made me really, really happy. Seriously, it's amazing. If you have any more suggestions or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments ;)<br/>See you next chapter! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Quite a Fast Symphony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang proposes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>March 23th, Ba Sing Se  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang felt exhilarated that week. Even the most ordinary daily tasks were fun to him now. Every walk with Appa, every class he taught, every cup of tea he drank... It seemed as if his life was a movie, and everything was seen through a filter of bright color and excitement. He wouldn't be surprised if people started singing and dancing on the streets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And all that excitement and happiness was becoming visible in his physical appearance too. Aang couldn't stop smiling, the whole week. Ever since Katara told him she loved him, his face muscles couldn't relax: The big grin was a constant presence on his lips these days. His eyes shone with a bright gray color, and a healthy blush covered his cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His students quickly noticed his excessively good mood. Not that he wasn't happy before- to be honest, he had always considered himself quite the happy person-, but there was something more to it. Shoji, one of the freshmen in Aang's class made a snarky comment about his enthusiasm in a lecture. The teacher had been quite creepy, teaching about a terrible war that caused millions of deaths, but he still had quite the smile on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, Mr. Aang. Have you got a new girlfriend or something?" The kid inquired. "Or are you just really passionate about the Earth Kingdom civil war?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just finish your worksheet, Shoji." Aang shot back, without answering, but couldn't help a grin appearing on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he was lucky enough, it wouldn't be a '</span>
  <em>
    <span>girlfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>' anymore: She would be his </span>
  <em>
    <span>fiancée</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So, yes, it was an understatement to say that he was happy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had spent quite some time figuring out the best way to pop the question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang first considered an aquarium proposal. He would take her out on a date to the place, walk through the many beautiful fish tanks, and have a diver swim through one of them with a sign that would say '</span>
  <em>
    <span>Will you marry me?</span>
  </em>
  <span>'. It seemed like a good enough idea because, after all, she loved the sea. But it seemed a little over the top. And it was too public, still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, he thought of a simple dinner date, at her favorite Southern Water Tribe restaurant. He could ask the staff to sneak the ring into her food, or a drink. However, the thought of the ring covered in sea prunes wasn't too appealing, and she could choke on it, which could definitely ruin the date. Also, he didn't even like sea prunes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Many other terrible ideas came to his head, but they were all shut down quickly. Putting up a banner on a plane? Probably too expensive and hard to read. Through a prank? She could be mad. Writing the question with rose petals? Too cliché. None of his ideas seemed to be good enough, so he just kept pondering about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until one day, when he had been walking Appa on the Middle Ring and found a beautiful water fountain in one of the town's squares. It was very big, with many lanterns adorning its surroundings. There were some older houses next to it, that added to the more romantic atmosphere. The fountain wasn't working just yet, as it was in the middle of the afternoon. Imagining how beautiful it would look flowing in the moonlight, Aang grinned, filled with hope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, he went back to the fountain square, to see it in its prime, and it was like nothing he'd seen before. The lanterns were all lit then, and the light trembled, reflected on the water. Some of the houses next to it also had matching lights, and it created an amazing view. As it was getting late, not many people were on the streets, leaving room for some privacy. The square wasn't far from his house either, which could be especially good if things went well with the proposal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, with a smile, finally satisfied with his proposal plan. This was it: He would ask Katara to marry him at that fountain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned, an aura of pure joy surrounding him as Aang quickly took his phone from his pockets. While making his way back home, he almost skipped, walking his happy feet through the pavement. He felt like a lovestruck teenager again when he heard his soon-to-be fiancé answer his call.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Sweetie!" Katara's voice filled his ears, making his heartbeat go faster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi!" He greeted her back and tried to make some small talk. "So, how are you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang had been so distracted when he listened to her voice that he almost crossed the street without checking for cars. He heard her sigh deeply, from the other side of the line. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tired. I took a long shift at work today." She said, with a groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, that sucks." He pressed his phone against his shoulders, hands in the pockets. "Did the old perverted guy bother you today?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh, yes." She scoffed. Having a lot of contact with the patients was part of her job as a nurse and she usually loved it, but unfortunately, sometimes it meant putting up with creepy people. They couldn't just refuse to treat them. "I know he's already very old and losing his common sense, but Mr. Jeong is a pain in the ass. He asked me out on a date today." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Looks like I've got some competition." Aang teased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, please." She scoffed, making a weird, long pause before continuing. "And I also got a call from my dad today." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stopped walking. He had never talked to her dad, and he was delaying that inevitable meeting for as long as he could. Hakoda seemed to be a very nice guy, at least from what Katara told him, but he was terrified of him ever since her brother punched him. Well, Sokka had been so angry when he found out Aang had knocked up his sister, and he had to take it from somewhere, right? Hakoda was probably going to have a similar reaction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Earth to Aang. Hey, are you there?" He was taken back to the conversation when he heard her voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, yeah. I'm here." He cleared his throat, which had closed up for a moment. "So, a call, huh... What did he say?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My family is coming over from the South Pole to visit us." Katara continued. "It's been a while since we've all gotten together." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, Spirits. His nose twitched, remembering the pain of the punch. He didn't want to go through this again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's...Nice." He tried to reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sweetie, you don't have to pretend. I'm freaking out too. I mean, they still don't know that I'm pregnant and they haven't even met you yet." Uneasy, she spluttered her words together. "Ugh, I can already see the disappointment on Pakku's face. He's such a jerk. He'll probably just react with a '</span>
  <em>
    <span>But she isn't married yet, she can't have a child out of wedlock</span>
  </em>
  <span>." She mimicked the voice of her step-grandfather, groaning at the thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not married yet</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Aang thought, and a faint smile was brought to his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry, Katara. I'm sure they'll be nice about it. At least to you." Aang tried to tranquilize her. He shrugged away his worries, determined to not let this news rain on his happiness. After all, he had a big day coming up, and he wouldn't ruin his perfectly good mood by worrying in advance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah... They will. Still, it's weird." She said, with a sigh. "But enough about that. What have you been up to, Sweetie?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Planning a proposal for you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> "Oh, nothing much." He said instead. Seeing a window of opportunity appear, though, he proceeded. "So, are you free next Saturday?"</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>March 27th, Ba Sing Se</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara picked her favorite blue dress for her date and got ready. It had an under-knee length, and the style fit her figure well. After spending the last months feeling sick to her guts, it felt amazing to look nice. She had spent far too long wearing only comfortable hoodies and messy ponytails, for comfort. She even put on some extra make-up and some fancy jewelry that night, which she hadn't done in a very long time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her boyfriend had been quite mysterious about that date. Aang had planned the entire evening, promising it would be something remarkable to her. She had even checked the calendar, to see if she had missed an anniversary, but it was just another ordinary day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, according to him, a memorable day. She just didn't know why.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he showed up at her door, Aang was dressed in a nice suit and had a big smile on his face, which she loved. He had a freshly shaven face and a new haircut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh, she loved him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You cleaned up nice." She complimented him, with a matching smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're gorgeous." Aang pulled her by her waist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stood together, so close they could feel each other's hearts pulse. Aang brushed his thumb against her cheek as he leaned towards her, sighing with satisfaction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The feeling of his lips on hers made Katara forget about everything. There was no baby, no family visit, no worries. Just Aang and her. Glued to him, she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he stopped kissing her. Aang did not pull away completely, just enough to look her in the eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We should be going. Our dinner reservation is in half an hour, Sweetie." He kissed her on the side of her jaw, making shivers run through her body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much to her displeasure, Katara pulled away from his warm embrace to get her coat. Not before tangling his fingers to hers, they made their way out of the apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a certain rush through the city that evening, which Katara particularly loved. Some people went back home after a day of work, and she saw a couple of teenagers meet, on their way to a diner. She wondered how it would be to spend teenage years in that environment. Looking happily at Aang, she felt glad that their baby would grow up there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the restaurant. Katara gasped, looking at the establishment, as Aang talked to the restaurant's host about the reservation. They walked through the big and gorgeous salon, making their way to a little balcony, with lanterns adorning the rampant. A table for two, with candles and flowers, was placed there, granting an amazing view of the city's landscape.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the sun started to set, the sky was filled with many pink, orange, and purple tones. Clouds passed by swiftly and calmly, leaving Katara with a peaceful expression on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you plan this?" She turned back to face her boyfriend, who had a grin on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You deserve it." Aang answered, pulling her chair out so that she could sit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A waiter came to give them some menus, and they chose between a big variety of sophisticated- and quite expensive- dishes. Aang decided to not have wine, in consideration with his pregnant girlfriend, but they still shared an apple cider.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Waiting for their meal to arrive, Katara went on talking about her day. She had an amazing shift at the hospital that morning, so she spoke excitedly about it until she realized Aang's mind seemed to be somewhere else. His eyes were devouring her, and he stared at her, lovestruck, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. He hadn't talked at all the whole.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara took his hand from the other side of the table, caressing his knuckles. Her blue eyes now looked at him with concern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you okay?" She asked. "You have barely even said anything since we got here."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, yeah. Everything is great." He grinned, squeezing her hand in reassurance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As their meal arrived and the sky darkened more, it all felt fine again. Aang seemed to relax a bit more, and they chatted and laughed together. Still, he was caught shooting his googly eyes at her many times during the evening. Holding her hand, touching their feet under the table, seeing her big, beautiful smile, he couldn't help feeling like that was the place where he belonged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That evening, when he wasn't holding her hand or using the fork, his finger made their way to his pockets, holding onto the ring box.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was the luckiest man on the planet.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright." Aang laughed, as he ran his hands through his stuffed stomach. "This was the best meal I have ever had."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they stepped out of the restaurant, into the chilly night, Aang felt his heart go faster. He held out her coat, helping her put it on and pulling her hair out again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you know how you could have made it better?" Katara said, with a pompous look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you had ordered your own fries, and not stolen all of mine!" She put up a mad expression on her face, hitting him playfully with her purse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, Sweetie." Aang laughed, kissing her cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Seriously, what were you thinking? Stealing food from a pregnant woman?" Katara waved her finger with exaggeration over his face, but she couldn't keep a smile from forming on her lips. "That's some dangerous game you're playing, young man."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang pulled her closer, with a smug look on his face, and put her hair behind her ear before kissing her temple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Next time, I'll order as many fries as you want."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now, that's the way to a woman's heart." Katara chuckled, nuzzling her face into his neck. "So... Are we going to your place? It's not a long way." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Actually, I want to take you somewhere before we go back home." He responded, with a grin. As she pouted, Aang gave her a peck on the lips. "It's going to be worth it, I promise."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang wouldn't tell her where they were going to, as much as she insisted. He just dragged her through the streets, listening to the cars and the people passing by. He seemed excited, walking with quick steps, that she struggled to catch up with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't a long way to the water fountain, so they got there in just a couple of minutes. But instead of turning on the little alleyway to the square, Aang stopped, abruptly, looking back at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, I have a little surprise for you." He said, biting his lip. "I'm going to need you to close your eyes and follow me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" Katara looked at him with hesitation, but closed her eyes anyway, letting him guide her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No peeking!" He shouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Giggling, she felt the cold wind pierce through her cheeks. It felt like spring was arriving late to Ba Sing Se, which was upsetting to many, but she didn't mind it. The sound of her shoes banging against the old cobblestones from that part of the town echoed in her ears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, Aang seemed to stop walking, so she stopped too. The cold wind was suddenly replaced by a warm feeling on her cheeks. She opened her eyes as soon as Aang told her to, and she gasped, surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before her, the fountain worked, flowing with water and adorned with the lanterns. The light reflected on the surface, which also mirrored the sight of the full moon, shining brightly on the clear sky. The city noise was muffled, and she only heard the splash of the water. Katara looked around, amazed by the sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow. It's... Beautiful." She turned to Aang, who still smiled brightly, and took his hands. "How did you find out about this place?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I was just walking Appa around and stumbled across it." He leaned closer and took a strand of hair to put behind her ear. She loved when he did that, and that was quite evident from the blush on her cheeks. "Do you like it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. It's amazing." She rested her head on his shoulder, turning to watch the peaceful sight of the fountain. Katara listened to the thump of his heart like it was a symphony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quite a fast symphony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked back at him with furrowed eyebrows, only for him to step </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara... You're the most amazing person I know." His eyes gleamed, reflecting the lanterns. "And I love you. So much."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I love you too, Sweetie." She caressed his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just want you to know that you are the most extraordinary girl, Katara. Ever since that night, after Toph's party... When I looked in your eyes for the first time, I knew we were meant to be." Aang continued to talk, and at this point, Katara's whole face was colored red. "And when I thought I couldn't be more in love with you, you tell me you're pregnant. Suddenly, you're my entire world, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I want this, Sweetie. I want you and our baby, living in a big house with a bunch of dogs. I want to spend my life with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked down, searching for something on his jacket. Out of one of his pockets, he took a tiny blue box, and Katara's heart dropped. She gasped, leaning back and covering her mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So please, Katara, will you marry me?" Aang finally said it, down on one knee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could only listen to her own heart, thumping on her ears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had they even talked about marriage before? She couldn't remember it. Yes, she loved Aang, but it was all very new, and they had a baby coming. She was already feeling too overwhelmed with her new position as a mother. Could she handle being a wife too?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, but maybe, marriage could fix a lot of things. Having a stable relationship could make it a lot easier. It was no coincidence that most people decided to wait for marriage to have kids. They would have a strong, substantial bond before bringing any children into the world. The idea of that perfect life Aang had mentioned... A house, kids, dogs. It seemed perfect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But his words echoed on her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mother of his child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Was that all?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She must have stood there, speechless, for a very long time, and was taken from her thoughts when she heard Aang's voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara?" He kneeled on the ground, holding up the ring box awkwardly. His body seemed tense, and she could see the despair in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"No." </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The despair turned into hurt. She noticed her hands were shaking and turned back, hiding her face. The picture of that perfect family faded away on her mind with every breath she took.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No...?" Aang whispered, standing up from the floor. His voice was trembling, almost failing. "I-I don't understand..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aang..." She looked deep down in his eyes, opened wide from the shock. "Why so soon? We have only known each other for, like, three months. We can take our time." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But why should we wait? We love each other, we are having a child-"He was interrupted when Katara scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I see</span>
  </em>
  <span>." She looked down, trying to hide her anger. "That's why you think we should get married? For the </span>
  <em>
    <span>convenience </span>
  </em>
  <span>of it? Because we have a baby on the way, so we might as well just do it? Because it's easier that way?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stared at her, his eyes, usually light and shiny, were now colored like a dark stormy sky. He felt a lump on his throat, and a sting on his chest. As he reached out to hold her, she shrugged him away, taking a few steps back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, yes, it would be easier. But also, because I love you. Isn't that enough?" He mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you?" Katara said, her voice breaking. "Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>love me?" She walked to the water fountain, sitting by its edge, and stared at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course I do-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Or do you just love the idea of us?" She whispered, her voice trembling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Would you marry me for </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, for</span>
  <em>
    <span> who I am</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Or am I just the </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother of your child</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Katara..." He tried to reply, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The water fountain still splashed, the moon still shined, and the lanterns were still lit, but the square seemed to lose all of its magic. The cold wind now howled through the small alleyways, and they both stayed in silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Look... Maybe it would be better if we were just..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just what?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just co-parents." She finally stood up, holding her coat closer to her as Aang looked at her, stunned. "We'll talk about the baby, raise it together but..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>together. As a couple." Aang completed, feeling his heart shatter. They stood, staring at each other, leaving words unsaid. "If... If that's what you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span>..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's what's better. I don't want to complicate things for the baby." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>I see</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara's feet made their way to the alleyway from where they had come from. Her shoes clapped against the cobblestones of the floor, making a sound that rung in Aang's ears. She looked back to the sad Aang standing behind her, who stared at the blue diamond of the ring with a gloom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then she walked away, disappearing into the streets of Ba Sing Se.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! <br/>Here's some angst for those who like it! ;)<br/>I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I was very busy the past few weeks. I tried to redeem myself by writing an extra long chapter, at least. <br/>If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I really love the feedback! <br/>I hope you guys liked it! See you next chapter&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. New Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>April 22nd, Ba Sing Se</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was painful enough that he had just been dumped. So he thought it couldn't get much worse, but the universe loved to prove him wrong: That morning, he sat cross-legged on a mat, in the middle of a yoga studio, surrounded by many pregnant women. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Katara was by his side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now, raise your arms and take in a long breath." The yoga teacher instructed, with a calm, pacific voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang hated that she was there. He had spent the last two weeks depressed, wanting her and missing her at a level he thought would be impossible. He dreamed about her, thought about her, and was surrounded by bits of her, all around his apartment. The scarf she had left there still smelled like her. And he had yet to return the ring to the store, so it just sat on his desk, looking as if it was mocking him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had tried to reach out to her and apologize, and as he tried to analyze the whole proposal from Katara's point of view, he did understand her uneasiness. Sure, he didn't like her decision and thought they should have gotten married. But it made sense, because after all, their relationship, although very meaningful, was still something very recent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, she had declined all of his calls, and barely ever answered his texts, only replying when it came to something related to the baby. That was the case of the yoga class: He had arrived early, hopeful that, maybe in person, she would give him a minute and agree to talk about it. Apparently, she didn't: As she walked into the yoga studio, she just greeted him, not even daring to look at his eyes, and proceeded to not say another single word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, she was sitting in front of him, less than a few inches from touching. But it felt like she was much far away. Aang thought that missing her was bad, but having her be so close, and yet so distant, not being able to hold her, kiss her and talk to her... That was torture. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn't even have to be there in the first place. Katara was just thirteen weeks pregnant- going into four months- and she wasn't even showing yet. There was absolutely no reason why she should be in a Mommy and Daddy yoga class right now. Those classes were meant for the mothers whose babies were almost popping out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, of course, they could lose their position in the class if they didn't show up. It was a very disputed spot, personally recommended by doctor Song, because it was a class taught by some very famous birthing doula. She was supposed to be a very, very good professional, but Aang was already pissed by the calmness of her voice. That voice that tranquilized many anxious couples was now bringing the worst in him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now, daddies, hold mommy into your arms and hold her belly, to show your babies you love them." Aang scoffed as he heard this, holding Katara reluctantly. Her skin was warm, almost inviting. His muscles tensed, feeling her familiar arms on his, but he sighed, hurt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sensing his uneasiness, the doula-teacher stared at the both of them, with her wide green eyes and a plasticized smile, which he found particularly creepy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is there anything wrong there?" Her voice was almost like a whisper, a siren's melody to every single person in that room, but it disgusted him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, everything is great." Katara answered before he could even open his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He furrowed his brows, especially hurt by that. He was saddened that she seemed unbothered by their breakup, while he felt like crap. Has their relationship meant anything to her? Aang put his hands to her stomach, reluctantly, feeling her let a long breath out. He figured it was just a breathing exercise the doula had proposed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night Aang had proposed to her, Katara walked back home infuriated. She had thought the Spirits were finally giving her a nice, lovable young man, and yes, he was all those things. But he wanted to marry her just because of their child. The Spirits hated her, that was her conclusion. She was yelling and cursing at the sky, as random people on the streets thought she was crazy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as soon as she got to her dark, empty apartment, she closed the door behind her, fell to the floor, and started to sob. She felt heartbroken and devastated. No other break-up of hers had hurt as much as this one. She loved him, she truly did, but he didn't want </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he wanted a family. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara hated, absolutely hated that those emotions had gotten the best of her. She had a hurricane of unrecognizable feelings that left her so scared. Plus, there was a lot of crying. She had to call Suki or Toph so many times that month, asking them to buy her more tissues.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every time Aang tried to call her or text her, she regretted the decision she had made. Katara felt so stupid for letting Aang go, without fighting for him or talking to him. She had just walked away, and although she had reason to reject the proposal, she could have at least let him down slowly. Maybe, she could have said yes...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she would try to shake these thoughts off, remembering why she'd said no to his proposal in the first place. She became sure of it, or at least, as sure as she could be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, yes: That class was just as hard for her as it was for him. Now, she had to see him with dark bags under his eyes, a big gloomy face, and figure. All because of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guilt was killing her. Katara wished she could lean closer to him, to feel his warm embrace, or turn around and kiss him. But his arms around her were tense and stiff, bringing her back to reality.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When that terrible class ended, she tried to get out of that studio as fast as she could. She had planned, however, on only nodding to Aang as a goodbye, but when she was facing the door, he came up to her side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was when, for the first time in about a month, they locked eyes, and Katara felt her heart drop. His gaze was dark, empty. He didn't have the spark in his eyes as he usually had, and that sight was killing her. There was a slight smile curling on his lips- the lips she was missing so much-, but she knew he was only being nice. His real smile didn't look like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, uh... About those shopping plans that we had... Are they still up?" He asked her, using as few words as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She widened her eyes as it all came back to her head. As many of the baby books they had read had advised them to, they had planned on going shopping for baby items little by little. Aang had even come up with a schedule, to know what items to buy each month. Katara had been looking forward to those shopping sprees, and she ached for a moment, knowing she couldn't possibly have as much fun with him now as they would've had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, yeah... We have to pick up a car seat, right?" She nodded, trying to avoid his gaze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Car seat." He repeated, pressing his lips together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure. How about tomorrow? I'll pick you up?" Katara suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a split second, his eyes shined again. He smiled back, a little bit more this time, and nodded, agreeing. Then he walked away from the studio, getting his car from the parking lot in front of the establishment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When her heart stopped beating too fast and she realized that going shopping with Aang meant spending the entire afternoon with him, she cursed. What the hell was she thinking? She sure wasn't ready for that! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara waited for him to be out of sight to pick up her phone. She went through her contacts, feeling slightly guilty, but took the phone to her ears anyway, only to hear her brother's voice on the other side of the line. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Sokka." She said, hesitantly. "I have a really big favor to ask you."</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang had been quite disappointed, to be honest. Staying away from Katara because of their breakup was already difficult enough to deal with. Now, she wouldn't even go shopping for the baby with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't what they had agreed on, right? They would be co-parents, as she had said, so that would mean they would still talk about their baby and deal with things related to it. Going shopping for baby items was one of those situations. So it was only fair that she went too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, no, apparently. Did she hate him so much she would rather send her brother- who had punched Aang- in her place? Pulling up to the big store, Aang sighed and waited for Sokka to arrive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He huffed as he remembered her call that morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry, Aang, but something came up." She had been very brief on the phone, very succinct. "Is it okay if I send Sokka in my place? So that he could help you pick up the baby's car seat, I mean."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure... That's fine." He had answered. No, it was definitely not fine, but he didn't have the energy to argue with it anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang observed the flow of customers going in and out of the store. It was a new kid's shop that had just opened, and it sold everything a child could need during their entire childhood. From pacifiers to more complex board games, for the older kids, they could find anything there. He and Katara had done a lot of research to find that store that had great reviews online, but looking at all the other happy couples who were also shopping there, with their babies, his heart ached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wished that he was there with Katara. They had been so excited to start shopping for the baby. It was supposed to be a special moment, buying their child's first belongings. This time, it was just a car seat, and, at least for him, it wasn't going to be the item with the bigger emotional attachment: Car seats weren't meant to be kept forever in a box of memorabilia, after all. But what if, when the time came, Katara wouldn't be with him to buy the first onesie or the first plushie?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was taken from his depressing thoughts when he saw a Jeep arrive at the parking lot, and a familiar face stepped out of the car. Sokka wore a very tense look on his face, but he hid it very quickly when he saw Aang, and he walked up to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Aang. How're you doing?" The water tribe man talked with a sympathetic smile on his face while spinning his car keys on his fingers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang stood there for a while, furrowing his eyebrows. Was that seriously the same Sokka he knew? The guy who punched him and broke his nose? The guy who had threatened to attack him with his crutches if he ever hurt Katara? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Katara had called him that morning to tell him she couldn't make it, and that her brother was going instead, Aang had been very nervous. Knowing he had just broken up with Katara, he wasn't very excited to see if Sokka would keep up with his promise, his threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But apparently not. Although he seemed a little uncomfortable to be there, and his smile a little forced, Sokka wasn't looking very threatening or angry at all. He had his hair up in his usual style and wore a black T-shirt that said 'I love my wife'. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...Hey, Sokka." Aang said, a little hesitantly. "I'm doing fine, thanks. How about you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm great." He said, his smile fading a little. He turned to the entrance of the store. "So... Let's go pick some car seats, shall we?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... We shall." Aang eyed him, really confused about his change of attitude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two men walked down the extended store, trying to find the right section, in a huge, unbearable silence. When Aang looked at the other, from the corner of his eye, Sokka's expression seemed unbothered, although he picked on his nails. They got lost on the many hallways a couple of times, which only made Aang's tension grow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why was he suddenly being so nice?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally found the right hallway, the hard tension in the air intensified. They looked at many car seats, debating over which one would be the best.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, this one had these blue stripes on the sides," Sokka said. "It's Katara's favorite color, so I think she'll like it, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, she would." Aang replied, avoiding eye contact. "But the fabric of the seat is kind of white. It could stain easily. And I mean, It's a baby. They're messy sometimes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You've got a point." The brother agreed. "So maybe that black one?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yup, that's a good one."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To avoid another awkward silence between the two, they quickly picked up the car seat's box and put it on a stroller, making their way to the cashier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much to their misfortune, there was a line. And the line was huge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>About ten people were standing before them, and at the two registers, cashiers worked slowly, scanning the products with the speed of a slug. A mother held a crying baby in front of them, and as the child's wails got louder and louder, the more everyone in the line cringed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang had a lot to say to Sokka, so, as they had a lot of time there to kill, he decided to get over with it already. He turned to the other man and took in a deep breath. At least, if the guy felt a strong urge to punch his face again, they'd be in a public area, with lots of people around as witnesses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sokka, why are you being so nice?" He asked, with a riddled expression on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't you remember that a couple of months ago, you threatened to break my nose again if I ever hurt Katara?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh...That. Yes, I remember." He looked down before cocking an eyebrow. "Your point?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My point is that... I broke up with Katara. How are you so fine about that?" Aang said. "I mean, after all those threats, you didn't do anything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka scoffed, picking up a candy bar from the line and opening it. It was something Katara had always complained about. Ever since they were kids, that drove the sister crazy, because she thought the cops would take her brother away if he ate anything inside a store. They always ended up paying for whatever snacks he had, but he loved doing it anyway, just to piss her off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why, do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>me to punch you again?" He bit the candy bar, talking with his mouth full of chocolate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No. I don't. But I still don't get why-" Aang was cut off by Sokka.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"First of all, it was Katara who broke up with you. She told me that herself. So, no. You didn't break her heart, it was more the other way around. I can clearly see it." He gestured to Aang, who just stood there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Second... I think you did the right thing." He spoke again, in a much more hesitant, quieter voice, taking another bite from the bar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" Aang stood, incredulous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...You had a good intention. You wanted your kid to have stability in their life, and I can't really blame you for that. I would've done the same." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...Really?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Sokka confirmed. "It may just be the conservative Water tribesman in me talking, but if she were in a stable marriage, maybe it would've been easier to deal with the whole pregnancy thing. As her brother, I worry about her. But..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But it's not what she wants." Aang completed his sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Exactly. And I understand it, but..." He pressed his lips together. "Look, I know you care a lot about her. She still does too. Maybe... She'll turn around on her decision. Maybe not. But in any way... I'm glad you're the father of my nephew or niece. You're much nicer than I thought."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang's heart ached at his comment, with the uncertainty if he'd ever get back together with her or not. However, he smiled at Sokka, putting a hand on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, Sokka. I appreciate that." He said as the line walked a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence once again, but this time, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was like a mutual understanding, and they were finally starting to see eye to eye. The baby was their priority, and they both wanted to protect it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang was glad. He didn’t want to have a bad relationship with the uncle of his baby.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The men approached a shelf on the waiting line, filled with crafts supplies. As Sokka finished his candy bar, he saw that Aang brushed through the many kinds of cardboard and sharpies, looking at him with a cocked eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why do you need cardboard?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm giving a Sex Ed class to my students next week. I thought I'd make some posters-" He tried to explain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang was cut off by the loud noise of Sokka's laughter. He rolled his eyes as the other kept howling, turning over his stomach. Other people in the line started eyeing him, annoyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the laughing stopped, Aang shot him a disapproving look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Seriously, Sokka, even my high school students are more mature than this." He turned back to the cardboard, trying to decide between colors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, no... That's not just...Haha." He tried to say, wiping a tear off his eye, but pressed his lips shut, suppressing a grin. “Nevermind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang turned back, picking cardboard and other crafts supplies when Sokka continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two finally reached the cashier, who started to scan the cardboards and the car seat very slowly. As they both stayed in silence for another moment, Sokka fidgeted with his car keys before talking again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So... You? You're the one teaching the class?" He pointed at Aang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... Yes. No other teacher wanted to do it, so I just volunteered." Aang answered, picking up the bag with his crafts supplies and pulling his wallet to pay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka tried to suppress a smirk again. Each box took one side of the big box containing the car seat off the checkout counter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure you're the right person to talk about safe sex?" He asked, from one side of the box.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why wouldn't I be?-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, you knocked up my sister. What a great role model to those kids you are." Sokka bit his lip to avoid breaking into laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang perked his head up to stare at the other, with a frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Haha. Very funny." He mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, okay. I have another one. Do you wanna hear it?" Sokka grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Does it matter if I say no?-" He tried arguing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No. Aang, do your students know of your career as a baker?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a deep breath before replying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What? I'm not a baker-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, you sure know how to put a bun in the oven." Sokka wiggled his eyebrows, with a smug on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang shook his head, but couldn't help smiling. Sure, he was a mess, he had a baby on the way and he had just lost the love of his life. But maybe... That was the start of a new friendship. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! <br/>So, that was the chapter! I hope you all liked it :)<br/>This was a very funny chapter to write. At least, the second part. I love Sokka and Aang's friendship dynamic. <br/>If you have any suggestions, you can leave a comment! <br/>Thank you so much for reading! See you next chapter &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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